The Dara Diaries: New Orleans
by XXTigerXEyesXX
Summary: Tessa had left Mystic Falls heartbroken at the loss of Alaric, not two years down the road she gets tangled up in Mikaelson drama. The stakes are far higher for her than they were. Will old feelings arise to get in the way? With her daughter hanging in the balance will she succeed? Or fail and lose everything? SEQUEL
1. Alive and Kicking

**I do not own Vampire Diaries, The Originals or any of it's associated characters. Just Tessa and the one's you don't recognize, thank you.**

 **Alrighty all, here is the start of the next Dara Diaries- There is a two year time jump. It pickes up at the beginning of Season 2 of the Originals. Episode 2 to be exact. Please, I know it's only the first chapter, but let me know what you think.**

 **BTW; I wanted to say that Tessa character is modeled after the woman in the cover photo,who is a very pretty model that goes by the name of Ebba Zingmark. Just incase anyone was curious.** **Thanks all, hope you enjoy!**

 **Thanks guys!**

 **Chapter 1: Alive and Kicking**

Tessa groaned rolling her eyes as she vamp sped behind the rather muscular tawny colored man in the beige leather jacket, quickly snapping his neck she tossed his body into the nearest dumpster and raced into the bar. Which was where she knew Elijah to be, Tessa was surprised to find the floor littered with a bunch of dead werewolves, the little witch she'd been tracking for some weeks now, and Elijah held against the bar by his father, Mikael. Tessa inwardly groaned not really wanting to go up against Mikael, but her life was on the line either way.

Tessa noted the last white oak stake was in Mikael's hand and beginning to pierce Elijah's chest, and she reacted, the controlled scream that ripped from her throat sent the elder man soaring into the wall beyond him, Tessa reacted quickly as she stood before Elijah, smack between him and the danger. The witch, Davina, scrambled to grab her lost bracelet as Mikael rebounded to his feet quickly moving to go through Tessa to kill the man behind her. Davina stood, unafraid of the Original vampire before her, the metallic bracelet held out in front of her like a talisman of some sort.

"Go back. Now." She told him. Mikael's eyes never left Tessa as his gaze burned her with hate before he huffed and left the bar. "Now. Who the hell are you?" Davina questioned turning on Tessa. Tessa, however, was more concerned about the white oak stake on the floor where it had been dropped. She sped over to it.

"Tessa." Elijah's voice quickly cut in before Tessa could even respond to the girl. Tess turned to face the man who sired her bloodline with a smirk.

"Hello, Elijah,"

"Wait, you two know each other?" Davina asked her voice full of sass.

"Yes, I recommend you leave. Now." Tessa responded quickly. Davina challenged her, taking a step in closer. Tessa made a move to react, but Elijah pushed the women apart. "I'm not leaving without that," Davina said pointedly staring at Tessa. Tessa smirked, she knew she meant the white oak stake.

"That; would not be wise," Elijah muttered to her before turning to face off with Tessa. Tessa huffed as she tucked the stake away safely in her jeans under her white t-shirt. "I do not wish to harm you, Davina, due to a promise I made to Marcel, but do not mistake my kindness for weakness. As far as I'm concerned we are at war. You've resurrected my murderous father, and we now hold the only weapon he can use to kill us. You can leave with your life, or you can stay and push your luck."

Davina glared up at Elijah and then moved her eyes to Tessa's direction, her glare only hardening as she began to walk out shaking her head. Elijah sighed as he turned back to Tessa holding his hand out.

"I suppose I should thank you, but I'm afraid I'm more concerned with your presence in this town. I thought you'd been long out of the vampire hunting game the moment you became a mother."

"Well, it's a bit hard to focus on motherhood when you no longer have your child," Tessa said with a sarcastic chuckle as she moved to pour herself a rather tall drink from the bar.

"I plan to use it myself, you know?" She continued on bringing the glass to her lips and finishing it before continuing, "The stake? On your brother." Elijah opened his mouth, but Tessa stopped him by moving away from the bar.

"I've been roped back into the 'hunting game' as you put it, because witches have taken my daughter from me, and apparently, the only way to get her back from them is to end your brother's life." Tessa sighed heavily as she finished her drink quickly.

"Tessa-," Elijah began but, she didn't want to talk to him. She needed to get the job done. She had to work with the witches if she ever anticipated in seeing her daughter again. It had only been three weeks, but it felt like an eternity to Tessa.

"Have your brother call me if he wants to talk further; I assume you'll tell him you've seen me?" She asked. Elijah didn't respond, he just stared unsure of what to say to a woman who'd seemed to have lost everything.

"I-I shall." He started to respond only to find Tessa gone, and the bar empty.

* * *

Tessa heard her phone's music cut off as she relaxed, and she groaned knowing that it was probably Ric calling, again. Things between them had been weird considering he'd literally risen from the dead a few months ago, and had shown up at her doorstep. Apparently, Mystic Falls was now a magic-free zone, which included the dark magic that had created vampires. Everyone was left scattered- aside from Damon, and Bonnie who apparently had passed on with the collapse of the other side. Tessa has been shocked, to say the least, and, while she was happy to have him back, she had grown unsure of having a relationship with him. Upon his return; Alaric remained an original vampire, and his control over his bloodlust was lacking. Everything had gone really well for the first couple days until Tessa had cut herself during their training, and the mere scent of her Faye blood sent him into a frenzy in which he attacked her. He'd apologized. Profusely, but it wasn't something he could just easily take back. She had been worried more for her fragile daughter's sake than her own.

She huffed wrapping her orange-red hair up in a messy bun atop her head as she relaxed deeper into the bubbly, sweet-scented water around her. She'd been hunting here for practice since she'd entered New Orleans weeks ago, but there was an unusually limited number of vampires within the quarter.

She'd had a vision of Elijah's impending death that morning, and what with him being her sire and all she was quick to come to his defense, more for her own well-being, of course. Tessa glanced over towards the open balcony through the bedroom doorway, conveniently placed at the opposite side of the adjoined living room. A figure in dark clothes stood on the balcony, just staring at her.

"Hello love." She froze looking over to see Klaus Mikaelson in all his glory before her. His black leather jacket gave off a look of trouble that suited Klaus well. Tessa gulped slightly at her exposed position as he moved into the cottage, swiftly walking across the living room into the bedroom doorway. It had been nearly 2 years since she'd seen him, and it was as if nothing had changed. His eyes sent her mind back in time when he'd had her in precarious positions, in his mansion, at the Inn in New York, then the surge of bad memories hit her. All the people she'd lost, all the fights, and threats, the control he had over her back then. He now stood a foot from the tub, his eyes moving over her form.

Tessa rolled her eyes at him before she cut the water off quickly, and stood. The appreciative look she'd received from him didn't go unnoticed as she stepped out of the relaxing tub quickly wrapping her foamy body in a fluffy towel.

"Klaus." She acknowledged as she passed by him, exiting the bathroom.

"So, my brother tells me you're here to end my life, and that you now have the means to do so. Is that true?" He said smirking as he followed her into the oversized bedroom she was currently renting at the Audubon Cottages.

"Ah, so you do know. Odd choice to come to me then, isn't it? Although, I am mildly curious as to how you found me."

"I'm the reigning king of New Orleans, love. I can find anyone within my city."

"Oh, your city, is it? Funny, because I've been here for weeks, and you're only just learning of my presence now, Your Majesty." She retorted to him as she snagged jeans and a tank top out of her suitcase. Klaus remained silent as he watched her slip her undergarments on under the towel before sliding her jeans up.

"What?" Tessa asked him a ghost of a smirk on her lips. She glanced over her shoulder only to be met with his staring. "Oh please. You had to have known any chances of something like 'us' ever happening was thrown out the window the minute you murdered my father."

"He came for my family and, I. I'm afraid I didn't have a choice," Klaus responded as he moved in closer. Tessa turned, still holding the towel tightly in her hand blocking her barely covered torso from his prying eyes.

"Then, I suppose you can understand my motives for being here?" She asked him softly taking a step closer to him accepting his challenging stare.

"You don't really think you can just waltz into my city, and plot to murder me, do you?" Klaus asked. She could see the ever familiar yet distant signs of his anger. The tightening jaw, his eyes hardening on her form in front of him. "We've been down this road before, Tessa." He pointed out.

A slow smirk spread across her lips as she slid a knife out from under her towel, before dropping it to the floor. "There's more at stake here, Klaus." She muttered before her instincts kicked in as she swung Robbie's old knife at him in a blind rage, he easily dodged her advance. Grabbing her arm brandishing the weapon and twisting it back behind her. She jerked her head back against his, and with a thud, he was shoved back by the force of it. Spinning around she kicked at his chest. Klaus flailed back across the mattress; Tessa reacted with reflexes of her vampire nature and shoved him to his back as she pounced on him with the vervain knife to his throat.

"Your reflexes have gotten slower, must've been all those months you've recently spent locked away in your cozy mansion," Tessa remarked as she pressed the knife against his skin. She heard him practically growl angrily from under her. She stood in her black lace brassiere and her jeans as she pinned him to the mattress, her legs on either side of his chest.

"Enough of this. Get off me." He seethed out through gritted teeth.

"No Klaus, this isn't enough," Tessa argued flashes of her days spent tied up in his mansion hit her. Klaus pulled her from the past as he tried to pull back from the knife undoubtedly it was itching the skin of his throat. "What's the matter? Your skin burning? Itching?" She asked her eyes taking on a gleam of danger in them.

He simply glared up at her in response.

"It felt similar to this when you strung me up in your mansion when you tortured the whereabouts of the stakes out of me." Tessa continued on at his silence. "Maybe, I can demonstrate, exactly… how it felt to you." She trailed off her eyes moving over him for any exposed skin.

Her legs moved to pin his arms down, as she pulled at the buttons on the neck of his shirt. They popped right off showing to her the skin she was aiming for. She could feel his arms working against the hold she had with her legs, but she maintained control for the moment. He hissed as the blade nicked his collarbone, and within a second she felt his hands on her thighs as he rolled them over.

"Enough!" She glared up at him, her eyes not betraying a single emotion. Klaus huffed as he felt blood seeping out of his skin from the cut that would take longer to heal than most. "I didn't come here to fight you."

"What're you gonna do Klaus?" Tessa asked him sarcastically as she struggled against him.

"I want to help you." He replied with a crooked grin at her stubbornness.

"Help me? Help me!? Why would you want to help me? Why would you care?"

"Call it an act of atonement." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"You have no reason-."

"It's my mother." He said cutting her off entirely. "My mother is controlling the witches."

She stilled her widening cobalt blue eyes looking up at him in surprise, "Wha-what?"

"My mother has returned. Again." He told her, she could see the emotions just under the surface of him. "I've just returned from a little chat over tea." He told her, his eyes flicking to the knife she held in her hand.

She groaned, annoyed as she tossed the knife away, it clattered to the floor noisily in the silence of the room. "You gonna get off of me?" She asked him, her tone biting.

Klaus smirked down at her, "You know, I'm rather enjoying this position."

"Get off me," Tessa growled. Klaus continued to simply smirk down at her, then without warning, Tessa screamed, her hands moved, pressing against Klaus's chest, and he was sent soaring into the wall behind him by an unseen force. He hit the hardwood with a hard thud.

"Well, your banshee powers have certainly grown." He said righting himself immediately.

She ignored him; standing up and moving to grab the tank top she'd previously dropped to the bed. "You can't honestly think I haven't gotten more comfortable with using my own powers, did you?"

Klaus stared at her more, his eyes moving over her body as she pulled the dark V-neck shirt down covering her midsection. "I think we could help each other, Tessa." He said his tone suddenly serious.

"Oh, yeah? How is that?" She asked crossing her arms over her chest, disbelievingly.

"You have as much reason to want the witches gone as I do, love." He told her as he came around to her side of the oversized bed. His hand trailed over the footboard as he rounded the corner slowly. "In order to help, I'll be needing that white oak stake back, love." He finished his voice low. Tessa stared at him, as her breathing changed. She watched him moving in closer, and closer to her. The air around the two became thick with tension.

"They have my daughter, Klaus." She cut him off. The tension vanished quickly. He stood inches from her when he stilled, his face clouded over with anger as he pulled away- Tessa wasn't sure if it was the mere mention of her child she'd had with Alaric or something else that had angered him, but she let it slide. "I'm not doing anything to piss them off, especially if your mother is involved. She already turned Alaric once. I won't-. I can't-. I'm not risking anything with my daughter involved which includes giving you the only leverage I have in this fight." Her heart hurt at the mere mention of her daughter- she hated bringing her up, she preferred to bury the pain deep down, but it was difficult to remain emotionless in this scenario.

"I understand," Klaus said softly after a silence passed between them. Tessa was at a loss; it surprised her for him to be so understanding. He'd changed- that much was obvious to her. Before he hadn't cared who got in his way, he'd maim or kill them to get what he wanted.

"I'm sorry? That's it?" Tessa asked confused as she moved to stand behind Klaus now standing in the doorway. "After everything-everyone that you took from me two years ago? I mention my daughter, and you what? Drop it? Just like that?" Tessa asked her anger seeping into her words.

"I know when the battle is a lost cause." He said to her not bothering to look over his shoulder towards her. Tessa moved quickly her hand on his shoulder as she spun him around slamming his back against the open door against the wall.

She stared at him taking in his somber expression, his silence, and lack of fight to sway her to his side. "What happened to you?" She asked him softly.

Klaus's eyes hardened as he pushed her gently away from him. "I recently lost a child, myself." He told her quietly before he moved at vampire speed towards the balcony. He paused standing on the balcony, he almost blended into the night sky beyond him. "I will help you get your child back, Tessa. I swear it." With that, Tessa watched him jump over the railing, and fall out of view. She was left standing in her bedroom in a tangled web of shock, and confusion.

* * *

 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	2. Every Mother's Daughter

**I do not own Vampire Diaries, The Originals or any of its associated characters. Just Tessa and the ones you don't recognize, thank you.**

 **Alright, here is the chapter that takes place over Episode 3 the majority of this chapter is focused on an emotional build up, so not a whole lot of physical activity, thanks all, and let me know what you think.**

 **BTW; I wanted to say that Tessa character is modeled after the woman in the cover photo, who is a very pretty model that goes by the name of Ebba Zingmark. Just in case anyone was curious. Thanks all, hope you enjoy!**

 **Thanks, guys!**

 **Chapter 2: Every Mother's Daughter**

* * *

Tessa hadn't seen Klaus all day, she was unsure if he was avoiding her, or simply retreating back to his mansion as he'd been doing since before she'd even arrived. She was still reeling from the fact that he'd even had a child- let alone that he was mourning the loss of one. She sat at one of the tables alone, this midday heat was growing unusually warm for her so she took up residence in the nearest bar. Her hopes of hunting to pass the time were squandered due to her lack of bloodthirsty vampires within the quarter. She sighed bringing her drink up to her mouth throwing back the bourbon. Tessa leaned back in her wood chair as she took a look around, everything seemed in ordinary and Tessa could feel herself growing bored. She'd stuck to blood bags for the last two years, but upon having her daughter taken she'd lost her best behavior streak. She'd catch, compel, and released since she entered town nightfall was usually when she waited to make her move, but at the sudden appearance of Klaus she could feel an itch she needed to be scratched, and she wasn't referring to bloodlust.

Their relationship was a complicated one, it had started out by him kidnapping her, using her to get to the rest of her family. Somewhere along the way she fell for the charm that was Niklaus Mikaelson. She sighed as she sensed the familiar crackling of electricity by the bar. Tessa turned as she watched a skinny, yet toned man with a dark umber skin tone and, closely cropped hair rubbing two fingers together. The man beside him was a pale, muscled man with curly blond hair to his chin and a steadily growing five o'clock shadow. Tessa watched curiously as the blond man hunched over the bar in pain. Tessa could hear the sounds of bones cracking- ah, so he's a werewolf. She thought to herself, only to be left with more confusion. Since when do witches work with Werewolves? Or threaten them in broad daylight? And, since when do werewolves just sit and, take it?

Tessa rolled her eyes as she placed the darker man to be one of the big, bad witches of the French Quarter, Tessa hadn't just sharpened her banshee abilities, she tried to feed and nurture her Fae instincts as well. In which she was able to sense when magic was used nearby her. Fairies weren't like witches in which their magic came from ancestral beings or the Earth, it came from within. Every Fae had their own magic tapped inside them- unfortunately- due to Tessa being a vampire she was an undead fairy-hence, the Banshee side so while she held no magic of her own anymore, she could still sense it.

The blond man sat up glancing around, Tessa took this time to pick up her glass and move to his other side. As she came up she heard the other man mutter, "That ring comes at a price, and you'll be paying for it today." She saw his stare linger over her face for a moment longer than she liked, but she shrugged it off, and with that, he walked out of the bar and out into the sunlit, busy New Orleans' streets.

"Can I get another, please?" She hollered down to the bartender as she hit her glass harder than appropriate for someone with the tolerance for alcohol like she had should've.

"Whoa, hey." The blonde man said with a glance over his shoulder at her. His voice filled with concern as he took her in from head to foot. Tessa smiled at him, acting drunk was like second nature to her. She'd gotten quite good at it over the last couple of weeks.

"Well, hey." She greeted, her tone rather suggestive. As she leaned on the bar with her arms crossed. The bartender dropped off her next drink while snatching up the empty glass before making a quick getaway to the other side of the bar as he wiped down glasses.

"You-uh-you good?" He asked her his soft green eyes stared into her blue ones. Tessa smiled, she felt her nose crinkling a bit at how big it was.

"Just dandy." She replied as she took a gulp of the Bourbon in her hands. "I'm Tessa." She introduced sticking her hand out to him. The blonde man hesitated, but took her hand in his- his movements careful. Tessa was surprised by his intense grip, but let it go, her curiosity was peaked now.

"Oliver," He introduced as he released her before turning back to his own tall drink of something. "So, what's a pretty girl like you doin' here all by herself on a fine day like this?" Tessa scoffed at his advance but answered him all the same.

"It got hot, and I got thirsty." She smirked at her double meaning. Oliver chuckled at her blunt explanation but accepted it none the less. "I haven't seen you around here before, you just passing through or something?" He asked as he took a drink from his glass again.

Tessa shrugged, "Yeah, something like that. Mostly here for work." She saw his black ring flash in the sunlight spilling in through the window. "Nice, ring. What is it onyx?" She asked him as her hands moved to touch his. Oliver's hand twitched away quickly.

"S-sorry, it's a family heirloom and no, it-it's black kyanite, actually." He answered as he twisted it around his finger. Tessa watched as Oliver pulled his phone out and, began texting someone at a speed she didn't think his thick finger capable of.

"Ah," Tessa muttered as she continued to drink her bourbon, looking thoroughly put off by his rebuff to her advances she glanced around the nearly empty bar.

"So, Tessa." He began as he slid his phone into his pocket. He was now giving her his full attention, "What do you do for work?" He asked. Tessa turned to face him, taken by his forest green eyes. Tessa sent him a dazzling smile turning on her charm quickly.

"I'm in the medical business." She lied easily, technically it wasn't a lie. She took the occasional shift at the Tulane University Clinic and Hospital. She compelled herself a nursing job, there, but it was just per diem. She originally took the job when she'd been unsure if she wanted to use blood bags or not, but clearly, her self-control was slipping.

"Oh," Oliver said his eyebrows going up. She had surprised him. His eyes traveled over her body. She crossed her legs encased in the black torn skinny denim jeans. Her sweater was a deep gold-yellow color. Her foot rested on the bar under the seat on Oliver's stool as she grew more comfortable.

"What? Did that surprise you?" She asked after sipping more bourbon down, now assessing him. The way his grey flannel hugged his arms and hung off his chest, his plain white tank underneath. Her eyes moved down to the laid-back jeans, and hardcore boots he wore. She took him for a hard worker. One that was laid back, and albeit drank during the day- but, she didn't get a sense of evil, or anything other than him being a werewolf.

"Kinda, yeah. I can't picture you running around in some hospital catering to the sick and injured."

"You don't even know me," Tessa told him as his phone went off. Oliver shrugged not bothering to glance down at it.

"You seem more of the lone wolf type." Tessa bit her lip at his choice of words, "Besides, you're too pretty to be running around covered in other people's blood and god knows what else." He drank the rest of his beer after his speech.

"Careful there, the pretty ones are usually the ones you have to be wary of." She grinned as she finished her drink, and moved to get up. Oliver's phone went off now he was being called. Tessa saw the name Hayley flash across the screen.

"Guess you're busy. I'll see you around, Oliver." With that Tessa left some bills under the glass and grabbed her bag before headed back out the front door. She was off in search of what exactly black kyanite was.

"Wait, I never got your-." Tessa continued on smirking pointedly leaving him wanting to know more about her. Tessa however, didn't get very far. There was some chanting behind her, and before she could react there was a sharp pain rolling in through her head, and then her world was thrown into blackness before she could even feel the warmth of the sun.

Tessa awoke to someone humming, and a scraping noise about her. She groaned feeling her head throb, she sat up from her position lying on the cold concrete. Upon opening her eyes she found a young woman- her hair was styled into a pixie cut, dark brown, her blue eyes were bright as the turned on her.

"Hello dear," She greeted. Tessa sat up quickly- too quickly. She regretted it due to the increase in pain that rolled through her skull. "I remember you," The girl continued.

Tessa's brows pulled together in confusion, where am I? Who the hell is this? She asked herself, as she moved, slowly this time, to her feet.

"I'm not sure you remember me, we never got to officially meet, but I was told about you. The girl to evoke emotion from my son that felt nothing."

"Esther," Tessa said as everything clicked into place. "You look quite different from the last time we meet. I guess blondes don't have more fun." Tessa shrugged.

Esther chuckled, coldly. "Well, my dear, the body that you knew was killed, by none other than your boyfriend. Don't think I didn't see you walk into my ball with the hunter turned original vampire on your arm. If I remember correctly I think his name was-."

"Don't you dare." Tessa cut her off angrily. "Don't you dare say his name. You don't get to."

"He's back from the dead, is he not? You've no right to be angry any longer. At least not with me." Esther pointed out. "It is not I that have taken your daughter."

Tessa paused now. Esther's confession caused her to backtrack in her mind. "The-they aren't working for you?" Tessa asked finally.

She watched as Esther shook her head slowly, "However, that doesn't mean that I cannot get her back, for you. In fact, I have a someone working on that right now."

Tessa felt her jaw drop in surprise, "Wha-what?" She asked softly.

"Yes, dear. I have no ill will or bad intentions towards you. You have suffered enough at the hands of my son. He systematically took everything from you two years ago."

"You did too." Tessa cut her off quickly. "He was my everything, and you destroyed him, and everything he stood for."

Tessa watched as Esther continued mixing something with the pestle and mortar, "And, for that, I am deeply sorry. I do want to make it right, so I offer to you, your child."

Tessa stood there trying to sort through her emotions; she was elated, but her mind turning over the facts before her. "Why?" She began softly. Esther simply stared. "Why would you want to make it right? What do you want in return."

Esther looked up at Tessa and grinned, "Simple. I need him alive and, I want your assistance in convincing my son in taking my offer, who knows, maybe you will accept it together? After all, from what I recall of the teasing by his sibling You and, Niklaus were once close, very close, were you not? "

Tessa glared at Esther still very much untrusting of the elder woman.

"I'm not toying with his emotions, Esther."

"My dear girl, it's not toying with his emotions when you reciprocate those very same feelings."

"I never said I did-."

"There's no sense in denying it. It's as plain now as it was when I saw your interactions at the dance. A connection like that doesn't just go away- no matter the actions you two have taken against each other."

Tessa remained silent not wanting to comment any further on her complicated relationship with Klaus. She crossed her arms defiantly as she waited for Esther to speak.

"Your child will be safely returned to you by tonight if I have your word that you will join me in my pursuit to enlighten my son in the error of his ways."

"You're insane." Tessa muttered shaking her head, "You have to know that your children would never accept a word you say to them. The last time you were resurrected you tried to kill them!" Tessa's voice grew louder as she finished her sentence.

"I've since found a better way to right my wrongs from the centuries before," Esther argued, she paused and took a breath gathering her composure together. Tessa finally took in the nice dress Esther way wearing.

"Where're you going?"

"A dinner party and you are to join…" Esther trailed off. "However, not dressed like that." She finished her eyes moving down Tessa's figure. Another figure entered from the doorway behind Tessa, and her world stopped.

While she didn't recognize the man holding her, she immediately knew the little voice that called out, "Mama!" Tessa couldn't believe how quick it was. She scanned her daughter for any differences but found none. Tessa moved quickly in towards her daughter.

She saw the hesitation on the young man's face, he looked past Tessa towards Esther- who must've nodded given that he wordlessly handed the toddler over to her. "Oh, I've missed you," Tessa muttered as she pressed kisses to her daughter's forehead. Tessa's arms wrapped around her daughter, holding her tightly against her torso. She never wanted to let her child go again, unfortunately, she knew she would have to.

The young man cleared his throat interrupting the moment Tessa was having with her daughter who babbled on some baby talk. "This is also yours." He said in an accent Tessa could quite place. He was a tall, man of an athletic build, he had brown curly hair and blue eyes. In his outstretched hand, she saw a dress help within a plastic covering. "Mother's orders." He added with a shrug and wily grin.

"Kol," Tessa said in shock.

"How'd you figure it was me, darling?" Tessa eyed the young man before her- he appeared about her age, maybe younger. He handed the dress off to her with a glance to his mother.

"Thank you, Kol. I believe you have other things that need doing?" Tessa heard it in her voice, she'd rather Kol not be here. Tessa put the dress on the nearest surface and resumed devoting her attention towards her daughter.

"Thank you." Tessa sighed out, her eyes were watering as she held her whole world in her arms. Memories of the long lonely nights just the pair of them in her small apartment in Laurel, Mississippi. Late nights, Early mornings, the constant feeding.

"You're welcome," Esther told her with a ghost of a smile on her lips.

"I hope you don't mind, but I've taken to finding a sitter for tonight's activities. I don't find it wise to be bringing a child into the family reunion I have planned."

"No," Tessa said shaking her head. She hated the next thought, but she didn't have another choice. She needed to keep her daughter safe. "I have someone else in mind." Tessa saw Esther expression change to a suspicious one, "Please. It will keep my daughter safe. I just need four hours tops, and then I will join you at the dinner party you have tonight. I swear it." Tessa told her. Esther wasn't one to put her trust in people, but Tessa could see the war waging in her mind.

"Go, but you had better show up at Niklaus's home no later than 8 pm, or your daughter returns to the witches that had her before."

Tessa nodded obediently as she moved quickly out of the lycee. She moved at quick speed through the town before making it back to her rented place. She yanked her cell phone out and finally called the number she'd been avoiding since she arrived in New Orleans.

"It's about time you called me back, I've only been trying to track you down for the last month." Alaric's voice on the other end filled her with a relief she wasn't expecting, "Where are you?" He sounded more worried than angry, but the anger was there none the less.

"It's sort of a long story, I'll explain when I can, for now, I just need you to meet me." She said as she hefted her daughter up higher on her hip before walking into her bedroom and placing her on the bed.

"Where?"

"I'm in New Orleans." She admitted finally.

* * *

 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	3. Every Mother's Son

**I do not own Vampire Diaries, The Originals or any of its associated characters. Just Tessa and the ones you don't recognize, thank you.**

 **Alright, here is the chapter that takes place over Episode 3 the majority of this chapter is focused on an emotional build up, so not a whole lot of physical activity, thanks all, and let me know what you think.**

 **BTW; I wanted to say that Tessa character is modeled after the woman in the cover photo, who is a very pretty model that goes by the name of Ebba Zingmark. Just in case anyone was curious. Thanks all, hope you enjoy!**

 **Thanks, guys!**

 **Chapter 3: Every Mother's Son**

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Tessa was still upset with having to hand Ali off to Ric, and have him take back to Virginia- where he was choosing to reside but she knew it was for the best. If Tessa was to remain here, tangled up in Mikaelson drama, then her daughter needed to be long gone from here.

She glanced over at the child that was having fun pushing buttons on the remote and watching the channels change. Her daughter laughed before pushing the remote off the couch entirely. Tessa sighed growing tired of picking it back up to hand it to her-something she'd been doing nearly everything in the last 4 hours. She'd ordered takeout hoping to find a decent Italian restaurant- her daughter had a thing for any sort of spaghetti. She had been excellent the whole night until Tessa put the remote on the coffee table instead of handing it back to her. Tessa grabbed her daughter and moved to tickle her senseless in an attempt to distract her from the remote, and the crying fit. They began to play like that until a resounding knock on the door signaled that he was here. Tessa huffed as she leaned over to pick Ali up and, carry her over to the door. She checked the peephole in the door to be sure and was even more surprised there was a dark haired woman with him. Tessa opened the door with a confused expression.

"Oh, thank god." She heard Ric say as he rushed in and grabbed Ali out of her arms. "Hey, baby." He said as Ali giggled out 'dada'. Tessa leaned against the doorframe while the woman before her looked on seemingly nervous about being here.

"How the hell could you-? I was-." Ric began as his focus returned to Tessa. She glanced over her shoulder simply staring. "I thought the worst about you two, little did I know you were taking a vacation in New Orleans. Maybe a little better communication next time." Ric was still mad, and he had every right to be. Three weeks ago, they'd been packing up and moving things around, he was to move back to Virginia where he'd gotten a job as the Occult studies professor at Whitmore University.

"I haven't-!" Tessa began loudly. She cut herself off taking a calming breath. "I haven't been 'vacationing', Ric." He paused his attention switching from Ali to her, clearly more confused.

"Alright then, what the hell, Tessa? You just felt the need to move away from Mississippi and not tell me where you were taking my child?" His anger was evident.

"No, I-." Tessa cut herself off with an annoyed groan. She glanced behind her to look at the woman still huddled in the doorway. "Do you mind?" Tessa's control over her attitude was slipping.

"Uh-I mean-I- Yeah. Yes. I'm sorry, I should really go wait in the car anyways." The woman clearly flustered left to wait in the car. Tessa turned on Alaric now slamming the door as he set Ali down on the couch while pulling her favorite toy from the diaper bag he'd brought with him.

"Way to make an impression, Tessa."

"Who the hell is that, Ric?" Tessa wasn't sure if she was angrier that he had brought a woman with him or the fact that she would be releasing her daughter to Ric- who seemed to have moved on with a new girlfriend.

"Her name's Jo. She's a doctor. She was helping me out with Jeremy one day, and-and Elena set us up. Sort of."

"So you thought it was a good idea to bring your girlfriend to your ex's house?" Tessa spat out, "As if this situation wasn't complicated enough as it is." She muttered the last part turning away, shaking her head in anger and heading into the kitchen area of the open living room. She opened her newly purchased whiskey and threw it back. Ric just stared in silence from the other side of the island now. Tessa knew he was waiting for an explanation.

"I haven't been exactly 'living it up' here in New Orleans, Ric." Tessa sighed out, putting the bottle down on the granite countertop between them. "Three weeks ago, when we were packing up the final load to bring to your place in Virginia, I went back into the house to grab Ali and my bag, and she was gone. I-I searched the whole apartment in a panic." She saw something click in him as he stiffened, and he glanced behind him at Ali, still on the couch now digging into her familiar diaper bag and throwing things to the floor with a wild abandon.

"She'd been taken, Ric. By witches."

Alaric's face clouded over in anger. "Relax, she's back. I've already had a friend come over to check her over to see if they tried any voodoo witch juju on her, and she's fine. However, she's still not safe here. I-." Tessa felt her eyes water, and her voice breaks. She didn't want to utter these words, but she knew it was for the best. "I need you to take her with you to Virginia. She- I can't leave New Orleans just yet, and with what's going on I can't be here with her. It's too dangerous."

She couldn't look up at him, she couldn't do much more than take another swig of alcohol and stare down at the grey colored countertop. She was surprised to find a heavy hand cover hers. She looked up at Ric slowly, "Hey, I'll take care of her. Promise. And, I will even make sure to keep you in the loop."

"I'm sorry, Ric. I-I didn't mean to-. I just couldn't. I knew you'd ask about her, and wanna talk to her-,"

"And, I'd have been out here three weeks ago helping you look for her." He cut Tessa off, his voice fierce. She looked up at him, and she saw the familiar look in his eye. She could sense there was something different about him when he walked in, she just couldn't place it. He was more confident in himself again, he was the man she fell for two years ago. She could see it in his protective nature.

"What's different about you?" Her voice was soft in comparison to the obnoxiously loud kid's show that was playing on the television. "Something's changed."

"I'm human again." He told her. Tessa blinked shocked at this piece of news.

"What?" She mumbled coming around to stand beside him she looked him up and, down. Of course, there wouldn't be any physical differences- he was still Alaric. She thought stupidly. She had to admit though, he still looked good.

"Watch," Ric told her grabbing a knife from the block on the island. He slid his hand into hers and nicked the palm of his hand with the tip, and Tessa saw the blood pushing through the tiny hole he made. In Tessa's surprise upon getting Ali back, she'd forgotten to feed- at all that day. Her face changed as her eyes reddened, and her veins protruded from around them, and her fangs elongated at the mere scent of Alaric's blood. She could remember the last time she'd had it; that fateful night she escaped the dastardly yet seductive clutches of Klaus. Tessa jerked back not wanting to tempt herself any further. A silence passed between the pair before Alaric spoke.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't-. I wasn't-." She could see the pity overcoming his feature.

"It's fine. Not your fault. It's mine, I should've fed. I've just been preoccupied is all." She told him as she turned leaning her back against the island as she watched her daughter throw her stuffed toy across the room.

"You know, you have in the past-."

"I can't. Not on you, and not with Ali right in the other room." Tessa shut that thought down as quickly as Alaric hinted at it. "You know what it does, this new girlfriend of yours is waiting for you downstairs and I can promise she wouldn't like it very much."

Alaric chuckled, "Well technically we aren't-."

"No woman would fly down here with you, if she wasn't interested in more than friendship, Ric." Tessa laughed out at his cluelessness. "Just take it from me, she's interested. Besides, human, or vampire. It doesn't matter; you're hot." Alaric laughed out at her admission as Tessa moved to gather Ali's toys, diapers, wipes, and snacks that had been carelessly thrown about her living room. Alaric was moving to help her when a giggle interrupted them. They glanced up in time to see Ali had found something brand new to preoccupy herself with. Her hands had been previously clapping were now still as she held them before her, palms facing each other, and a ball of light shimmering, and shining between them.

"Whoa," Alaric said as Tessa stared mesmerized by it. "What the hell is that?" He asked softly as he neared Tessa. The stood by the end of the couch while Ali was sitting on the opposite side facing her parents.

"Her Fae powers." Tessa murmured back to him.

The shining light blinked out as Ali looked up at her mother and father. "'Gain! 'Gain!" She shouted with a wide smile, as she began clapping her hands again.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, hey honey. Why don't we take a break before doing that again, huh?" Tessa said as she gently stilled her daughter's small hands with her own.

"Well, looks like I'll be doing some more digging into fairy lore the minute I get to my office," Alaric said as Tessa lifted Ali and handed her to Ric.

"Alright, well. I guess this is it then." An edge of sadness was in Tessa's tone. She really didn't want to watch her daughter drive off, but at least this time she had no questions about her safety.

"Seriously, I'll call you once we get back to town, alright?" Alaric reassured as he slid the strap of the bag over his shoulder, and held Ali in his arm. Tessa leaned over the doorway and pressed a quick kiss to the dark hair atop her daughter's head.

"I love you, Alarice Emily." She mumbled as she kissed her daughter's temple. She watched Alaric walk down the hall toward the elevator and felt her heart constricting painfully in her chest. Her eyes watered as Alaric had her wave goodbye as the door closed shut. Tessa sighed turning into her apartment, the silence was gnawing at her after the place had been filled with giggles from Alarice's child-like wonder with the world. Tessa glanced at the clock and knew she was going to be late to the dinner party. Tessa unzipped the plastic holding the dress she'd received earlier and was pleasantly surprised by the look of it, the top was a v neck, black satin, with a matching lace covering over it down to the waist of the dress. The bottom of the dress was made of the same satin, they were layered in two ruffled skirts. Tessa knew with her tall frame the skirt would appear shorter on her than it actually was. What really caught her eye was the necklace thrown over the hook of the hanger. The silver gleam in the light kept pulling her attention back to it. She held the small pendant in her fingers, the sterling silver was smooth in her hand. It looked similar-looking to a lightning bolt with a forked end. Tessa shrugged as she made quick work of getting ready before heading down the busy streets of New Orleans towards the compound.

Tessa stood with her nerves alight with electricity, she could swear it was almost like an electric current running through her. She didn't want to do this, but if she didn't go through with it. She could kiss her daughter goodbye, and that just wasn't something she was willing to risk; for anyone. She took in a calming breath before moving ahead through the slightly opened gates and entering the mansion.

She looked around the courtyard impressed by its sheer size. The two tiers of wrap around balcony landings made Tessa feel small, the fountain gave the concrete room a feminine touch, the greenery gave it a homey feel. Tessa wasn't surprised to see a bar set up in the corner across from the entrance, from the time she spent with Klaus nearly 2 years ago she could remember the amount of alcohol he went through. That's when Tessa heard it.

"Where is she?!" It was Klaus's angry, desperate voice, and she just reacted. Using her vampire speed she appeared in the doorway in time to see the very same man she had seen with Oliver the Werewolf in a bar earlier that day. Klaus and, Elijah laid on the floor knocked out.

"You…" She greeted.

"Me?" The man asked he'd jumped at her presence.

"You were at the bar, with the werewolf. You-. You grabbed me and brought me to Esther. Who the hell are you?" Tessa asked taking a slow step into the exquisite, yet small dining room.

"We've met before. Briefly." He said with a giant smirk displaying his pearly white teeth. "I am Finn Mikaelson."

Tessa glared at him with an untrusting gaze, all while eyeing him up and down. He certainly didn't look like the Finn Mikaelson she'd met in the past. "Okay, Finn Mikaelson… If this is a dinner party, why the hell is everyone passed out?"

His grin only widened. "Mother has had a change of heart in her choice of bodies, my dear. This witch has served her purpose, as for them, well, I need to make a quick getaway, unfortunately, they won't be out for much longer. You will meet us tomorrow in the same place as before to report." Tessa gritted her teeth, her anger spiking. She was so tired of getting tangled up in the bullshit family drama, she hated Esther with a passion, and now for her daughter's sake, she was working for her.

"Report what?" Tessa asked irritated as Finn walked past her without an answer, and his head held high with his contempt for her species. A groan caught Tessa attention, she was surprised to find Klaus pushing himself up slowly. Tessa stood staring down at him unsure of what to say.

"Tessa? What're you-?" She heard his accented voice and her heart nearly skipped a beat, turning around their eyes met and she felt a change in her. Her body then reacted like she had no control over it; moving quickly Tessa slammed Klaus back against the far wall, and her mouth slid to his eagerly. He was surprised at first, and she sensed hesitation before his arms were around her waist pulling her against his body. Tessa groaned softly against his mouth as she deepened the kiss, one hand in his curly, dirty blond hair at the nape of his neck, while her other slid underneath his suit jacket and trailed up his lean torso covered by a thin button up.

"Klaus?" She questioned aloud, but it came out more like a groan as one of his hands slid to the back of her neck and his open mouth trailed down her throat. She could feel her body heating up under his touch like she had so many time before, but this was different. There was no build up, they had both gone from confused, and alert with adrenaline, to this unusually charged passion.

He groaned as his right hand slid around to her hip from her lower back, and moved down towards the back of her thigh. She felt him get a grip on it, pulling it up around his hip as he turned them around. Tessa's back was slammed against the hard wall; knocking over a floor-length, cast iron candelabra in the process. Tessa gasped as his body pressed down on hers. She could feel him nearly giving into the seductive call that held control over them, she was about ready to as well. Klaus's hand on her bare thigh sent electric shocks through her nervous system.

She yanked his tie free of its knot and ripped it from his collar around his neck. He sent her a sensuous grin before leaning to clash his mouth to hers once again. She felt his hand make it's way slowly up the back of her thigh as it slid under her skirts stopping once it reached her behind. She groaned loudly, her mouth still pressed against his tightly. She became so caught up in Klaus and, the way he made her body feel, she'd forgotten about Elijah entirely, up until he yanked Klaus from her. Klaus was carelessly tossed over the table crashing to the hard floor. Tessa's foot which had previously been upheld by Klaus slipped to the floor again. She was left leaning against the wall behind her for support as she fought to catch her breath. Her hair which had previously been up in an elegant half updo was now a mess.

She stared at Klaus as he pulled himself up shakily from across the table. He leaned his weight against it, breathing just as hard. "What the bloody hell was that?" He asked sending a glare towards Tessa. She knew how he'd felt about control, so for him to be out of it was something Klaus detested.

"I-I don't know," She replied softly Elijah looked at the pair but, chose to move on as he steadily made his way towards the person that Tessa knew to be Esther. She groaned as she lifted her head looking around. Before Tessa could react Klaus stood between her and the young-old? Witch.

"Where is our mother?" Klaus asked, his voice void of emotions.

"Where am I? What's happening?" She asked, her voice soft and scared.

Klaus didn't hesitate, his hand wrapped around the girl's delicate throat. Tessa inwardly rolled her eyes, he'd done the same thing to her once upon a time ago. Tessa saw the girl's eyes, they were much different, softer. Held more emotions than they had earlier in the day when she'd met with Esther. It hit Tessa then, that they were no longer with the spirit of Esther Mikaelson.

"Stop! It-It's not her. She's not your mother." Tessa interrupted. Elijah gave her a curious look but turned to face Klaus voicing his disapproval as well.

"Leave her. She's just a puppet." Elijah said moving in on Klaus. Who remained threatened, and in a terrible mood, his hand remained on her throat so Elijah spoke again, "Niklaus. Look at her. She has absolutely no idea.

Tessa moved to Klaus's other side, her hand moving to the shoulder of the outstretched arm, "Klaus. Stop it. Look at her, she's scared. She's a scared teenage girl."

"What are you talking about? Who are you-?!" The girl cried out.

"Shut up. Stop talking. Right now." Klaus threatened as he turned away. "Our mother orchestrates this entire evening just to torture us, and then simply vanishes. Why?" Klaus asked with a glance to Tessa, then Elijah, and finally stopping on the witch seated before him. She grew uncomfortable, and frightened under Klaus's harsh gaze before Elijah interrupted,

"What if we are not the only minds she was hoping to poison tonight?" Elijah asked his face seeming to grow with concern. He turned away quickly yanking out his phone. That's when Klaus turned on Tessa now.

"Stay here, please." He asked, his voice soft. Tessa looked at him with confusion on her face.

"What? No, I- You can't just run off to face your mother who has tried to kill you not just once, but twice before."

"Tessa. Listen to me. Please. Just stay within the compound."

"Why would I listen to you? I'm not compelled to do so anymore, or have you forgotten that little fact?"

"Oh, sweetheart, that can change very easily." He threatened darkly. Elijah was yelling, "Hayley?" Into his cell phone before he turned to face Klaus and, Tessa as he hung up. "She's at Lenore's shop. We have to go." And, with that Elijah exited the dining room.

"Please Tessa," Klaus asked

"Klaus." Tessa scoffed, she suddenly felt his hands grip her upper arms as he pulled her closer.

"I can't protect both you and Hayley. If we get there, my mother will undoubtedly use both of you to get to me, and if she puts you two in danger, I can't be certain that I would save Hayley. So please, love, just… stay here."

Tessa rolled her eyes with a sigh but nodded in agreement all the same. Leaning in she was surprised for Klaus to press a quick kiss to her lips until Elijah's voice broke them apart from somewhere below, "Niklaus?!"

"I am glad to see you again, love." He admitted to her wearing a very Klaus-like smirked as he vamp sped out. Tessa sighed, almost giddy, as her eyes moved towards the witch girl still seated in her chair. Tessa smiled moving towards her slowly, compulsion time. She thought.

Tessa had waited around for Klaus to return, she'd walked around inspecting the house, and all its rooms, she fell in love with the architecture of the building, the old-fashioned décor. She grabbed the bottle of wine from the dining room and began exploring after compelling the witch to forget everything from tonight and go home.

Tessa vaguely heard the familiar voices of returning people and was tempted to go demand answers from the trio down in the courtyard, but thought better of it. She wandered around the house continuously drinking the wine until she'd stumbled on a bedroom. The far side was taken over by a massive bed, the four posts were halfway towards the ceiling before they ended. The wall behind the bed was an intricate mix of bricklayers, and cement, it was clear there was more to have been done before the house was taken over by the Mikaelson's. As Tessa entered further, she saw a fireplace across from the bed, a low coffee table, a loveseat, and a matching chair made up a sitting area all around the fireplace. Tessa walked along the back of the dark chocolate leather loveseat, her hand trailing over the back end. She saw a dresser back beyond the matching leather chair, a nook in the room revealed a bookshelf littered with old books, some dating back decades ago. Besides, that bookshelf was a dresser with an attached mirror. Tessa moved closer to the mirror as she leaned over the dresser taking in her reflection, she was so absorbed in poking around at the knick-knacks, and décor around her that she hadn't noticed a tall, lean figure appear behind her until she looked in the mirror again.

"Hello, love." He greeted. Tessa jumped feeling embarrassed at him catching her.

"I'm sorry, I-," Tessa stated, she cut herself off nearly knocking over something laid out before her as she jumped, turning around. She began moving away from him, only to back further into his dresser.

"Not that I'm not enjoying you're company, love, but what the bloody hell are you doing here?" Klaus asked, diving right into the point. Tessa opened her mouth to explain that his mother had asserted control over her with her child, but nothing would come out.

Her brow furrowed as she spoke, "Is this one of those times when I lie to protect your delicate man-emotions." She asked recalling when he'd last shared his feeling with her at the Mikaelson Mansion back in Mystic Falls.

"Why bother? You never have before." He pointed out, his voice seemingly colder than the warmth she'd recently grown accustomed to.

"Yes well, I was a bit preoccupied back then," She defended, "Besides, it's not as if you spent your days courting me at the mansion. You plotted and, schemed to murder my family. Every single member." Tessa muttered the last three words softly, saddened by the thought of it, "So forgive me if reciprocating those feelings you supposedly had is hard for me to do." Klaus stepped in closer to her.

"You seemed to have no problem, not a half-hour beforehand when you'd interrupted our dinner." He pointed out with a smug expression as he eyed her up and down. Tessa opened her mouth outraged, only to close it coming up a blank on what to say to defend herself. He was right, she'd all but thrown herself on top of him. It wasn't like her, not one bit.

"I still have people looking into your daughter, just so you know." He said changing the subject suddenly.

Tessa opened her mouth to explain that she had her back, but no words would come out, again, it was as if her voice stopped working when trying to mention her child or Klaus's mother. "You alright love?" Klaus asked as his brow furrowed and his hands hung at his sides.

"No," Tessa said feeling more confused as she finished the bottle of wine, and placed it on the dresser behind her. "I-I don't know what's going on, but something's wrong with me."

"You and me both." Klaus scoffed, "I-It wasn't just you. I-It was like I couldn't stop myself. You kissed me, and suddenly nothing else mattered tonight, not Hayley, not my mother, nothing but you and the way you felt in my arms, your lips, your touch..." As he spoke Tessa watched him move in for the kill. His eyes grew dark as she watched his pupils dilate. She felt like the prey he was stalking, she knew she should have felt even a semblance of fear but she didn't. Instead, a thrill went through her at his words. These feelings were growing harder and harder to suppress. She couldn't help but think Esther may have had something to do with this, Tessa didn't know how long she'd been unconscious in her care earlier in the day. She knew that tomorrow would be spent going from witch to witch to figure out what exactly was done to her. His hand moved up to brush stray hair from her face.

"You do look lovely tonight." She heard him say as his eyes moved up her bodice. She felt it again, that pull towards Klaus. He shortened the distance between them, watching closely as Tessa moved in slowly as well; almost subconsciously closing the distance to him, her hands slid to either side of his face, then slid down over his now tie free chest. Leaning up slowly she gently brushed her lips against his. His hands wrapping around her and holding her to him tightly wasn't something she'd expected.

"You know, if you're here to kill me, I think best we not-." He began.

"I'm not going to, Klaus." She cut him off quickly as her hands moved to the buttons on his shirt. It was clear to the two of them that they didn't care about much of anything right now, except for each other. She didn't think she'd have it in her to go through with it, even if that was still on her agenda. Luckily, it wasn't on Esther's, therefore she got out of the previous mess she'd been in. "I don't think I could, even if my life depended on it." With those words left hanging in the air, Tessa yanked the rest of his shirt apart, and her eyes trailed up the expanse of his torso, her hands following their movements with feathery light touches. Klaus groaned as his hands moved to her wrists stilling her.

"What. Is. This?" Klaus wore a pained but confused expression. Almost as though he were struggling with himself. Tessa could feel herself debating if this was a good idea, but his eyes, his scent, everything about the man before her just drew her in. That's when Tessa knew he felt it too, there was something pushing them towards one another, it was lowering their inhibitions. Tessa was trying to think of a reason-any reason to pull away, but for the life of her, nothing was coming to mind.

"I-I don't know, but right now, Klaus, I don't care." She replied to him in a daze, her voice was breathless. It was like the rest of the world was blurring around her again, and the only thing she could see was him. "Touch me, Klaus. Please." She told him before leaning in to kiss him again. "Just touch me." She begged as her hands freed him from his button up, and suit jacket.

A slow grin spread across his lips as his hands moved up under her ruffled skirt and tore her undergarments from her body. Tessa leaned forwards clashing her mouth with his, kissing him senseless. They began moving in the direction of his bed, before she could make it there Klaus lifted her from the floor causing her legs to wrap around him. He groaned low in his throat as her body fit against his.

She called his name in response. They were lost to the rest of the world as he moved them towards the bed, his body quickly falling over hers. He instinctively used his hands to brace himself on the mattress below. Tessa quickly lost any and all inhibitions she'd had previously had about being with Klaus at that moment.

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 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	4. Live and Let Die

**I do not own Vampire Diaries, The Originals or any** **of its associated characters. Just Tessa and the ones you don't recognize, thank you.**

 **Alrighty all, this chapter is gonna bump the rating up to M, please follow the guidelines of the fanfiction website. I want to make sure rules are followed, and yada, yada. Anywho, there's a little bit of everyone in this chapter, Tessa will have more interaction with the characters of the Originals in comparison to the last story. Thanks all and let me know what you think!**

 **I'm also on the fence about the Klaus and Tessa relationship- it's a bit more lovey dovey than I'd have preferred it, but there is a love charm at work here, people so they wouldn't quite be themselves entirely... that is to be expected. lol Thank you so much to my two reviewers you guys are awesome!**

 **BTW; I wanted to say that Tessa character is modeled after the woman in the cover photo, who is a very pretty model that goes by the name of Ebba Zingmark. Just in case anyone was curious. Thanks all, hope you enjoy!**

 **Thanks, guys!**

 **Chapter 4: Live and Let die**

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Tessa awoke sometime in the early morning hours. She felt an arm around her waist and a solid body at her back. Memories hit her from the night before. Klaus was all she thought as she rolled over to take in his sleeping form, she knew he probably wouldn't be asleep for much longer. Her eyes trailed over his features- not seeing a trace of evil in them like she used to. The soft angles of his cheek bones gave way to his more defined jawline, his face was relaxed. Tessa's hand moved up to instinctively to brush it over his cheek before she returned to herself and was pulling her hand back. Tessa was still unsure if last night was a good idea, her inhibitions, and worries returned to her. At least she knew she didn't have to kill him, and her daughter was safe. Although she was unable to tell Klaus any of that. She knew she had to meet with Esther, and quite possibly the other Mikaelson siblings today. She groaned inwardly not wanting to deal with anything as she took in the person lying in bed next to her, after her giving in and, sleeping with him last night she was certain she'd never want to do anything that required clothes again.

Klaus turned towards her, his eyes trailing over her exposed skin, as a slow smile crept across his features.

"What?" Tessa asked him moving in closer.

"Nothing, love," Klaus told her before leaning in and covering her mouth before she could utter her witty retort. She felt his hand move to her hip as he pulled her front against his with a moan tearing from her throat.

"Ugh, I don't want to leave," Tessa muttered as she rested her head against Klaus's surprisingly comfortable chest.

"Then don't. Stay here, I shall give you the tour de Nouvelle-Orléans."

"It would be naïve of me to think we could do that for the day. We have enemies to deal with." Tessa mumbled rolling over so she now laid over Klaus, "I suppose though, that I do have ten minutes or so to spare." She said smirking down at him as her red hair hung around his face as the silver pendant swung back and forth between them. Klaus glanced down at it, and Tessa noticed he was taken aback by it. His eyebrows furrowed, and his eyes became unfocused, dazed almost.

"You alright?" She began before Klaus's hands cupped the back of her head as he pulled her down for another kiss. Tessa groaned her hands slowly beginning to wander over his body.

"I'm more than alright, love." He responded making quick work of rolling her over so she lay under him. His lips pressed against hers hungrily. Tessa groaned as her hands held him tightly where ever she could, Klaus groaned when Tessa's nails dug into his back as she gasped loudly upon him swiftly moving inside her. His hands grabbed her wrist as he entwined their fingers together moving her hands off of him.

She called his name only edging him further. Klaus's hands pinned hers down beside her head, Tessa groaned, loudly, as he moved against her not anything holding back. "I'm perfect," He continued, his hoarse voice whispering in her ear, she practically heard the smirk on his face. Tessa's hair was fanned out around her head; a sharp contrast to the cream colored sheets beneath her. "I'm in heaven, right now, love." He muttered against her neck before he began to kiss his way down, and over her collarbone. Tessa moaned tilted her head back giving Klaus even more access to her throat. His lips moved over her pulse point, and she felt him hesitate before pulling back slightly. Her legs wrapped around him only pressing him even further into her.

Tessa groaned in disappointment as she moved her hips against his what little space was there. Looking up she paused, his eyes were dark, with the golden orbs floating in them, It was as if he was staring into the depths of her soul. His fangs were elongated, and she knew the memories from two years ago were coursing through his head, just as they'd flashed through hers. Tessa could faintly remember the fear, but her head lingered on the pleasure she'd experienced at his hands that day they'd blood shared.

"Do it." She told him, her eyes staring up, unafraid, her head tilting back just slightly. "C'mon Klaus, do it." She challenged him, her head still tilted back.

Klaus's eyebrows pulled together before he pulled back and struck her quickly. Tessa gasped but the pain quickly receded into the far depths of her mind, as pleasure overtook her. Her left hand tangled into the sheet as she fisted it tightly in her grasp. Her other hand dragged her nails lightly down his back. Klaus's hands had slid down her arms slowly, moving even slower over her breasts before continuing down further he gripped her hips as he pulled her into his already rough movements. She cried out his name as her eyes closed against the pleasure that was beating against her. He pulled back from her neck, crying out in pleasure. Tessa felt the slight itch of her neck quickly healing over. His efforts redoubled and, Tessa gripped onto his back for some stability, she could feel her body tensing up, and reaching its peak. Within a few more movements she screamed out her release. Klaus flinched at the ear piercing scream before Tessa even realized it pained him, she bit into his shoulder to muffle the sound. Luckily for her, it did the trick, and Klaus followed seconds after. He gently draped his body over hers in a tangled, sweaty mess as they took in deep breaths. They heard his bedroom door opening quickly, causing Klaus to roll over lazily with a satisfied smirk on his face.

"Everything alright in here, broth-?" Elijah's voice reached them as Tessa yanked the sheet over her body. Hayley stood before him in the doorway her mouth open in shock.

"Fine, Elijah," Klaus said continuing to pant from his previous exertions. "More than fine if I do say so myself." He said with a cheeky grin. He laid back against the pillows with an arm behind his head, Tessa could see Klaus reveling in the fact that he'd finally gotten Tessa into bed.

"Alright then, well what with the head-splitting scream, we assumed a murder scene was taking place. Glad, we were wrong." Hayley said awkwardly. She began tugging the door closed before her eyes moved around the room. "Whoa."

Tessa got the hint as she took in the sight before her, glass was scattered over the carpet, the mirror across the room was broken, and the windows were left cracked, most were broken. She turned to stare at Klaus surprised by the strength of her own scream.

"S-sorry," She uttered feeling a wave of embarrassment come over her, but the crooked grin on Klaus's face told her he was anything but.

"Guess, I just have that effect on women." He said his grin widening. Tess rolled her eyes at the sound of the door closing quickly. Tessa was quick to gather her clothes that Klaus had thrown about carelessly throughout the room the night before.

"I, unfortunately, do have somewhere I need to be." She muttered as she grabbed her dress up, she managed to find her bra and held up the torn panties. "Well, so much for leaving here fully clothed." She muttered. Klaus stood before her with his jeans hanging undone off his hips as he handed her a pair of his sweats and, a sweatshirt.

"I may have some beastly qualities, but I do still pride myself on being a gentleman." He told her with a grin before reaching around to her rear as he pulled her closer for a kiss. Tessa made a slight noise of surprise before he pulled back to slip on a dark shirt and the leather jacket she'd seen him in that first night in her rented cottage. "If you'd like to wash up, it's just through there." He told her with a nod behind her, towards his adjoining bathroom. "I'm afraid you're not the only one that has business in the quarter, today." He told her pulling her back to him by her arm. "I'll be sure to visit you later, love." He said with a grin. His fingers trailed over her face gently, only moving around to the back of her neck and silencing her budding question with a kiss.

"Thank you." She muttered softly as she pulled away, and began moving towards his bathroom.

After she washed her body free of sweat. She dressed in the clothes he let her borrow, before moving out of his bedroom, expertly avoiding Hayley and Elijah when she ran out to catch her cab that brought her home.

She changed into her own clothes settling on simple jeans, and a light pink tank top before lacing up her heeled boots, and tossing a leather jacket over herself for some badass points, she made quick work of finding the Lycee within the historic Lafayette Cemetery. Tessa set foot within the lower level of the Lycee to find at least 20 pairs of eyes on her. Witches by the looks of it, Tessa thought. She could feel the power radiating from the building, as well as the land of the cemetery. The witches simply went back to their work, they seemed to be making rings, all too familiar to her as she recalled Oliver's. Tessa gulped as she made slow movements up the stairs to the second-floor landing where she knew to be Esther's hideout. She had been invited to meet up with them courtesy of the eldest Mikaelson brother, Finn. She stood at the slightly open door, Finn and Kol were arguing, they faced off with whom, Tess could only assume to be Esther. She was in a different body, this one older, more fitting for her. The woman had a shade of tawny skin it betrayed her age of wisdom she undoubtedly knew from years of practice, her long wavy dark hair fell down the back of her head. Tessa couldn't see much more from the back.

"Boys!" She cried out frustrated at their lack of ability to focus on anything other than each other. The pair shared a guilty look before giving their attention to the woman before them. "Now, if I'm right, Davina has the white oak stake. Find the girl, Kol, and get it back." She told him, her voice leaving him no option but to do as asked. They still think Davina has the white oak, Tessa thought. She was inwardly relieved but, knew that before long they'd find out Davina was no longer in possession of it. Elijah and Klaus never told anyone she had it. Tessa felt the smallest of smiles overcome her mouth as she stood just outside the door. She wasn't sure if it was out of protection, or just to keep the knowledge of its existence from getting out to too many people. She was hoping for the latter though. As much as it seemed otherwise Tessa knew she couldn't stay in New Orleans. It was no place to raise a Faye child.

Tessa held her head high as she moved into the room pushing the door open with an obnoxious amount of force. The three witches jumped turning to face her, "Oh hello my dear." Esther greeted.

"Changed bodies again, Esther? Having trouble fitting in?" She asked sarcastically moving about within the Lycee. Esther chose to ignore Tessa's jab at her, "Still wearing my gift, then?" Esther asked nodding to the necklace around Tessa's throat.

Tessa paused, "So?"

"Have a fun filled evening then, did we?" She taunted with a knowing smirk. Tessa paused before yanking the chain from around her neck.

"I knew it!" She hollered as the chain 'clinked' against the concrete floor. "You had it spelled. I never would've- You took that choice from me!" Tessa cried out as she lunged at Esther. Esther's hand shot out, and Tessa was thrown back against the wall. "Now, now, that charm does not force you into anything, it simply heightens the emotions you feel, and the emotions of the one you feel affection for, my dear. I did nothing but, give you the opportunity. Given your reaction today, I can assume it all went well."

Within seconds Tessa stood before the three witches, she made a move forwards again, but they each held their hands out, and pain hit Tessa like a ton brick, she cried out holding her head in her hands. She couldn't even think through the pain, she had to fight to remain breathing. Thinking quickly, Tessa screamed throwing the three figures before her back across the Lycee. Due to their fragile mortal status, the tall dark man Tessa knew to be Finn remained unconscious as a result of him bounding off the wall. Esther and Kol jumped up quickly though. Kol held his hands out about to mutter some spell or other, but Esther grabbed ahold of his arm as she moved slowly in front of him, her expression plain as day, she was shocked at her discovery.

"You're a banshee." She stated more than asked. "Oh my dear, you are going to help our cause much more than you know," Esther said with a whole new gleam in her eye.

"No!" Tessa shouted her anger getting the best of her. "I'm not a part of this. I won't harm anyone especially Klaus-."

"Oh no, no, no, my child. You misunderstand me. I have no wish to harm my children. I just mean to place them in new bodies. Living bodies. Allowing them to start over, in new lives." Esther told her, her tone gentle. Tessa took a step back, she was just now getting the whole picture. She was going to systematically get rid of all vampires by transferring her children into new bodies and slaying their vampire ones.

"I may be a banshee, Esther, but I am a vampire. It's what causes me to remain in between life, and death." Tessa pointed out now fearing for her own life if Esther were to succeed.

"Well, given your close relationship with my son, I'd give you the same offer as well."

"Why would I accept anything from you?" Tessa seethed, her daughter and Alaric came to mind. She couldn't abandon them for a new life, there was no way.

"Because I've seen into your heart, my darling. You want a life with Niklaus. It's right in there just waiting for you to realize it, and I think my little charm helped you see just that." At her last few words, Tessa watched Esther pick up the necklace. "I'm afraid you'll need this if you're going to continue to be around my son, dear. That way you don't go on ahead and, tell him of our little gatherings." Tessa put it together that the reason she couldn't tell Klaus anything was because the necklace was spelled to not allow her to. Tessa was surprised at the trouble Esther was going through given that just two years ago she was set to kill every one of her children.

"I'm sorry, 'gatherings'? You say that as if me coming up here willingly is going to continue to happen." Tessa scoffed as she backed away slowly. She knew then that not only was that necklace spelled to lower her inhibitions around Klaus, but it also extended some control over her to Esther, which was what frightened Tessa most of all.

"Oh, and it shall. Now that I know just what you are, I can draw power from your screams. I intend to use you in getting my boys to agree. Whether you're included in my plans once they consent is dependent how willing you are to help. Unfortunately for me though; your child seems to have been sequestered off to Mystic Falls where no magic can harm her- no matter, I've found a different angle to lure you in with."

Tessa sighed her brows furrowing. She didn't like being backed into corners, and witches were not people she enjoyed having any sort of relations with- let alone an unwilling one. They only looked after their own, vampires, wolves, humans, and apparently, fairies are damned. Tessa grunted as she hit the floor. Esther quickly knocked her feet out from under her. "Kol, her voice! She'll scream again." Esther shouted. Kol held his hand out quickly closing it into a fist, sufficiently cutting off her air supply thus silencing her building scream. Tessa choked on her lack of air supply, she watched as Esther raced over and pulled her up clasping the chain around her neck, before muttering a spell under her breath before pulling back to stand by Kol. Tessa felt her chest loosen as she practically gulped air into her lungs. She groaned as she pushed herself up breathing hard while glaring at the pair of witches.

Tessa reached for the necklace and made a move to yank it off her neck only to find it not breaking, she yelled as she yanked at it harder only, hurting the back of her neck further. "I'm leaving. Now." She growled her words out.

"Oh, just a moment," Esther said moving forwards. Tessa paused inwardly rolling her eyes, she knew she was no shot against Esther with her bodyguards with her. Before she knew it she heard soft chanting, and Tessa felt the floor rushing up to meet her as darkness enveloped her vision.

Tessa woke up in covered in a thin sheen of sweat, her body was shaky, nausea rolled over her in waves, and she had that familiar sense dread in her stomach. There was no recollection of her getting there, she could vaguely remember spending the night at Klaus's, and- Oh, she slept with him, not just once, but multiple times. She thought cringing against a wave of nausea. She wasn't sure if she was going to get a vision or throw up first. Flashes of woods surrounded her and she saw a pair of figures fighting in the dark. A lone log cabin took up residence behind them. The pair was sent soaring as one of them jumped, holding the other by the neck and slamming him down on his back. In the slit of moonlight through the trees, and at Tessa's continuing movement forwards she recognized the pair fighting, it as Mikael, and Klaus. Klaus was laid out over the dirt, and Tessa screamed as she watched Mikael pick up the white oak stake, before bringing it down to meet its mark. She heard Klaus scream in pain and she was pulled from the vision, back into her cottage where she sat on her bed. She gasped upon returning to herself. A cold fear shot through her. She didn't wait for this to happen just to have Klaus pulled away from her. Absolutely not.

Without a second thought, she was up and headed towards the door, keys in hand as she moved down to her car. Opening the passenger side she was surprised to find the passenger door unlocked, but upon opening the door she saw why. The glove compartment was unlocked-broken and hanging off its hinges.

"Jesus Christ, Klaus." She muttered before moving around to the driver's side to her newer Nissan before peeling out of there, and towards the location of the log cabin she'd seen. She wasn't sure of where it was, however, she just knew that it was in the woods, with a log cabin. With a huff, she yanked out her cell phone. Elijah answered in the first three rings.

"Tessa, to what do I owe this pleasure?" He asked she could hear the smile in his voice, but Tessa didn't have time to chat pleasantries like she normally would.

"I'm sorry, Elijah, I-I don't have time. I'm looking for a place in New Orleans, and I-I'm not from around here. I- I don't-."

"Calm down." His voice came through loud and clear. "Take a breath and tell me what you need. I'm afraid I don't have much time at the moment."

"Please, Elijah! I got a vision- a vision of someone's death. They were in the woods- I heard cicadas, and- and terns." Tessa began describing as much as she could from her hearing alone.

"That could be any number of woods in the area, Tessa. I need you to be more specific."

Tessa groaned yanking out a map she'd used when she'd arrived in Louisiana the first few weeks. She spotted a long stretch of woods. "Log cabin- there was a log cabin in the vision- behind the scene of the murder." Tessa hadn't wanted to tell Elijah that Klaus had run off on a suicide mission to kill Mikael- it would've only caused their relationship to strain more. At his continued silence Tessa spoke up again, her tone soft. "C'mon, Elijah you owe me. I saved your life."

"Well, there is a place called the Bayou cabins, it's in Terrebonne Parish, just out of town, it's near a wildlife preserve out there- lots of forest for hikers and what not, it is unlikely that anyone would be-."

"Alright, I'll check it out! Thank you so much, Elijah!" Tessa cut him off enthusiastically as she hung up, She made the time well enough, night had fallen by then, of course, and Tessa peeled into the parking lot to find it empty.

She groaned leaning against her car now unsure where to even go, so taking a deep breath she tried to calm down, but her mind kept replaying Klaus's scream over and over again. That's when she heard it, the sound of hits landing, and being blocked. She heard the grunting from exertion and took off at vamp speed towards the danger. Tessa was racing through the woods, when she pushed into a clearing, she watched as the fighting pair came into view.

Déjà vu hit her mind as she watched the two men take turns throwing punches. She watched Mikael throw Klaus to the ground, and moved immediately, as she neared Klaus she saw his father lean down to grab the fallen stake, and take a stab at Klaus. Tessa used her surprise to her advantage and called out for him, "Hey, over here! Remember me?" She cried out as she slowed her run for a walk.

That's when Mikael screamed in agony as he fell off of Klaus, Tessa was by his side instantly, "what the hell were you thinking?!" She asked yanking the stake out of his chest. Luckily it hadn't been pushed any further otherwise she'd have been too late. Klaus cried out in pain and anger. She was so angry at him she could hit him.

"Easy, love." He told her as he began to move himself up. He stood upright now.

Klaus hefted the elder man up and moved towards his SUV, before depositing the man into his trunk with a thud.

"You're seriously putting him in the trunk? What if he wakes-."

"He won't, darling." Klaus said with a wince as he grasped his lower ribs on his right side, "Trust me. What I stabbed him with will keep him knocked out, and in unending agony, which I think is very well justified." Klaus told her as the two of them stood in the driveway by Klaus's car.

"Klaus. We-uh- we need to talk." Tessa said softly figuring with how good of a mood he was now, she might as well attempt a go at telling him about the necklace.

"I know, I know, I planned to give it back, if you want it. I just needed to-."

"It's not about the white oak," Tessa told him quickly. Tessa paused taking in his face, she stared into his eyes, no longer guarded around her. She could remember when his face used to be a blank mask hiding his emotions from her. She began to lose her thoughts as her eyes moved over his figure. Tessa couldn't shake the feeling that there was something she wanted to tell him, but the only thing she could think of now was kissing him. She was relieved that he was alive, that he'd survived the fight with Mikael. After watching him die in the vision earlier she was quick to realize how much she cared about him- you know, once she had allowed herself to.

Wordlessly she leaned in and, kissed him. Klaus pulled back smirking. His arms were linked around to her lower back pressing them in close together. "I thought you wanted to talk." He told her, his soft voice hoarse.

"I-I did, but I-." Tessa sighed running a hand through her hair. "I'm just glad to see you still on two feet."

"I'm sorry, Is- is that relief I hear for my survival?" He teased with a smirk on his face, "For someone who was so apprehensive about displaying emotion you aren't hiding it well."

Tessa rolled her eyes, but muttered out a yes as her arms went around his neck, "I hadn't realized just how much I grew to care about you, I suppose." She shrugged. Klaus pulled her head to his as he pressed his smirking lips to hers. As they kissed, Tessa felt his hand move towards the pendant at her throat, they pulled back and Klaus stared at it confused.

"There's-there's a power to this…?" He trailed off. That's when a figure came slowly jogging up the clearing behind him, interrupting them.

"Klaus!" The woman yelled as she came in closer, dropping the pendant back to the hollow in Tessa's throat he turned around. "Where is she? If something happened to her, Klaus, I swear to god." She said, clearly out of breath.

"Davina's fine. She'll awaken with a spectacular headache, but given her intentions for me she should count herself lucky."

"Of course, if you drop dead of a heart attack, I may have to kill her on general principle." He muttered as Tessa rolled her eyes at his dramatics. Her fingers idly pulling at the necklace around her throat. She wanted it off, but it was like the damn thing was stuck. She trailed her fingers around to the back clasp only to feel noting back there. Tessa inwardly groaned while the pair before her droned on, and on about how the blonde got here. Tessa pouted as she dropped her hands to her sides, she felt like she was wearing a dog collar. She couldn't recall who'd given her the necklace though, as a matter of fact, she couldn't recall much of that day. She remembered waking up in Klaus's bed, and that intense romp in his bed this morning, but once she left the compound, she couldn't recall a thing until she awoke in her bed feeling sick, and covered in sweat.

Tessa was taken aback by the fact that the blonde had leaned in and gave Klaus a hug, but she bit her lip in an attempt to quiet the bubbling chuckle. Klaus's face was shocked, but the woman pulled away quickly enough. "Where's Mikael?" The woman asked breathlessly.

"In the trunk," Tessa responded. The woman looked surprised as if she didn't realize Tessa had been there the whole time.

"Is-Is he-?" She began.

"He's alive," Klaus told her, moving in closer to Tessa, his hand finding hers. Tessa smirked as her grip on his hand tightened, "and, in complete and utter agony. I decided to take your advice, and keep him alive." Klaus said a smirk plastered on his lips.

Tessa still couldn't shake this feeling of dread, she wanted to get this woman out of here before something worse happened. "You alright, love?" She heard Klaus ask as she glanced around feeling more, and more uneasy. "I'm fine," Tessa told him quickly, quite disbelievingly.

"C'mon, Tessa, what is it?" He pressed on.

"I-I don't know just yet, Klaus, Give me a minute."

"Where's Davina?" The blonde asked.

"In the cabin still," Klaus told her sparing a glance in her direction, his focus was on Tessa and her 6th sense abilities. The blonde moved quickly headed off in that direction.

"You should go with her, the danger could be in the cabin."

"Forgive me, if I feel more apt to believe the danger to be out here," Klaus responded as he moved closer to her, the stake out and ready to use.

"Seriously, Klaus? I think I'm a bit better with that than you are." Tessa scoffed. Klaus opened his mouth a smirk on his face telling her he had a witty retort, but he was cut off as the blonde woman yelled for him. His name echoed through the clearing. He hesitated not springing into action as he stared into Tessa's blue eyes.

"Go. Klaus, it could be important." She mumbled. "I'm gonna look around out here."

"Tessa, be careful. Please" He muttered pushing the stake into her hand as he passed back towards the house. His hand trailing over hers as he passed. Tessa heard his footsteps fade before she heard the car door push open, and Mikael stepped out.

"Good, this gives us time to chat." She heard him say as Tessa's insides exploded with pain. Her abdomen felt like it had been lit on fire, and she fought to contain the scream begging to be torn from her. Tessa didn't get it, there weren't any premonition or clairaudient of death. She gasped as she fell to her knees. Through her squinted eyelids she looked around to find the clearing vacant of other banshees- there was no foretelling of death so why was she gritting her teeth to prevent from screaming. Unless it was her own. The morbid thought briefly passed over her, she heard Mikael step in closer as he picked up the fallen stake. "No." She gasped out, unable to move. "Please." Mikael seemed to just stare at her, calculatingly.

Tessa groaned as the pain redoubled, she knew she could only hold off for so long. The scream that tore from her wasn't human. It was ear piercing, almost screeching, and she vaguely thought she heard the sound of dogs howling in the distance. Mikael reacted the minute Tessa fell crumpled and tired to the soft dirt below. She felt his arms wrap around her midsection as he picked her up effortlessly and carried her off into the night. As she was pulled farther and farther away she saw the vague shape of Klaus coming out to investigate, no doubt alerted by her scream. She was too tired to yell or call out to him, and her vision blurred into nothingness.

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 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	5. Red Door

**I do not own Vampire Diaries, The Originals or any** **of its associated characters. Just Tessa and the ones you don't recognize, thank you.**

 **Thanks all and let me know what you think!**

 **BTW; I wanted to say that Tessa character is modeled after the woman in the cover photo, who is a very pretty model that goes by the name of Ebba Zingmark. Just in case anyone was curious. Thanks all, hope you enjoy!**

 **Thanks, guys!**

 **Chapter 5: Red Door**

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Tessa could feel her body rocking back and forth to the tune of someone walking, she was carelessly draped over a rather boney shoulder, her mind came to a few seconds after she physically awakened. However, she was half here over the mystery man's shoulder, and half encased in a tomb in the Lafayette Cemetery- she could see Elijah chained up and, knocked out. She gasped as she was mentally thrust back into her own body fully conscious and aware. Her memories hit her of Mikael, and her body tensed. She could feel her body weakening- her attachment to her banshee side was as though it were blocked by a wall of some sort. She wasn't as strong as she normally was. In the mere minutes, she knew she had she was trying to form a plan, she had the voice of a hunter in her head; more specifically, her mother's voice- she could only deal with this situation from a strategic standpoint. That was the only way she was getting out alive. She was quick to realize it was still night, the moon was high in the dark sky above her.

"Awake then, are we?" Mikael asked, his tone suggested he was bored. Before Tessa could fully react she felt his arm loosen from around her, and she fell hitting the ground with a hard thud. A groan signaled to him that she was in fact conscious. "Good. I got tired of carrying you around." His deep voice said calling her attention back to the moment at hand. Tessa rolled away quickly trying to flee from Mikael.

"Don't do that." He seethed suddenly behind her with the white oak stake hovering over her chest.

Tessa jerked her elbow back over her shoulder enough to nail him in the face. She took the opportunity to go for the stake in his hand, jerking his arm wildly Mikael threw her into the nearest tree, before aiming a punch at her face. Tessa knew she wasn't strong enough to block it, so she ducked, and felt the tree against her back reverberate from his hit. She cried out making a quick attempt to run, but Mikael grabbed her around her shoulders, his forearm pressing into her throat cutting off her airways.

"Where'd you learn to fight like that?" Mikael asked his voice nothing more than a hiss in her ear.

"Hunter. Human." Tessa gasped out before Mikael's arm let up just enough for a gasp of air to get to her lungs. His silence gave way for her to continue talking. She was scared, and she hated it. "Klaus will find me." Tessa gasped out, the words rushed out of her before she could think better of it. She heard Mikael huff from behind her and, he moved quickly spinning her about before shoving her against a nearby tree, hard.

"Oh, I'm counting on it, my dear. By the time he does. I'll be ready for him." He said threateningly. Tessa watched as his eyes changed and his fangs elongated. She didn't have time to scream before he struck her. All Tessa could feel was pain, so much so that her mind became numb to it. Her blood felt like sandpaper moving through her veins as it was sucked from her. She felt Mikael's fangs dig into her flesh deeper as his hold on her tighten. She knew that having this Faye blood was both a gift and a curse, just before she thought she might pass out Mikael pulled back.

"No, you- You can't be." He muttered as he wiped at the blood on his chin. His wide eyes took in her appearance "Your kind was killed off long ago." She idly wondered how he knew what she was the instant he'd tasted her blood, but she figured that in his last 1000s of years he'd come across one or two of her kind.

Tessa sent him a glare as she brought her hand up to her wounded neck. "Not all of them, I guess." She replied sarcastically. Mikael sighed as he glanced down noting his wound wasn't healing, Tessa took the split second to leave a blood trail, knowing Klaus had to be right behind them.

"Damnit." He cursed before gripping her arm tightly and continuing to pull her along with him. Tessa could recall all of the werewolves she'd seen dead on the floor in the bar when she'd found Elijah just days ago. The venom must be pumping through his system preventing Mikael from operating at full strength. Mikael didn't offer any awkward small talk to pass the time. They must've only walked about 15 minutes or so before he stopped. Tessa heard music in the distance, she watched feeling dread in her stomach as his head turned into the direction of the music.

"I hear music, and where there's music, there's food." He muttered. It was obvious to her he was still in a fair amount of pain from whatever Klaus had stabbed him with, he'd need a source of food, and fast. As he pulled Tessa up the slopes they spotted a massive crowd of humans around a bonfire listening to some rock music or other. Some of them wore masks. Most of them were drunk. "Well, well, well, well what have we here? Hillbilly Halloween, is it? How perfect." Mikael said with a slight smirk as his eyes moved over the people before them. He must really enjoy the sound of his own voice. Tessa thought begrudgingly as she continued wiping the blood from her neck as he yanked her along behind him into the clearing before the crowd. Mikael walked through the crowd of partygoers before reaching the impressive outdoor stereo they'd set up via blue tooth speakers and a car radio. Reaching in Mikael yanked the radio right out of the truck's dashboard, effectively killing the mood of the party.

"If I can have your attention, please," Mikael stated as he locked eyes with the people of the crowd. "I shall like you all to deliver a message for me." He finished with a wide smile. Tessa tried to creep back, but she soon felt as though Mikael had turned and punched her in the thigh, as though he'd charley-horsed her leg.

Tessa cried out in pain, however upon looking down she gasped seeing a pitchfork sticking out of her leg She felt the burning sensation that came along with a usual stabbing. The weapon went straight through her leg, cutting into muscle, luckily it just missed her femur. Tessa groaned as she made the attempt at yanking out the pitchfork so she could heal, but found it embedded in the truck behind her, sufficiently pinning her to it.

Tessa cried out frustrated as she let go of the offending object, Mikael took this time to continue to compel everyone around the fire to attack Klaus when he reached this point in following them. Some he'd instructed to deliver a message. "I thought you wanted food," Tessa muttered tiredly. She was already in a weakened stated due to her banshee powers being suppressed for some reason, the random stab to her left leg wasn't helping. Glancing up she took notice of him helping himself to some of the food they'd offered for the human partygoers. "Oh." Tessa began slightly disappointed in the world's first vampire hunter, "I hadn't actually thought you'd meant food-food." She muttered.

"Oh, you thought I meant these people?" Mikael asked taking a bite of what Tessa could tell was a deviled egg dressed up in looking like an eyeball. He'd had another one in his other hand as he practically shoved it down her throat all the while wearing a condescendingly angry expression. "I do not feed on people."

Tessa choked but, chewed and swallowed it down all the same. "No, my dear. You see the food is for me to feel as though I've sated my hunger, at least until your blood supply has been built back up. If I intend to continue to feed on you- especially after stabbing you in what appears to be a major artery your going to need put something for your body to build up blood faster."

"Yeah, well, if you plan on continuing to monologue at me I'm going to need a beer in my body." She said cheekily. Her voice exposed how tired her body was between the walking, blood loss, pain and whatever was going on with her powers. Mikael sighed frustrated at her as he tossed the food he was munching on to the grass below.

"Can't have you running off on me if I plan on using you as bait, can I?" Mikael asked her as he all but sauntered back her way, she felt the quick blood loss as Mikael yanked the weapon out. The sickening squelch of blood and muscles nearly made her faint. You'd think with all the fighting she'd done and with her occasional shift in the hospital in life she'd have gotten over the grotesque noises bodily injuries made. She knew then that he'd struck her femoral artery.

"Damnit." She groaned. Even though she healed quickly, the amount of blood soaking through her jeans, combined with Mikael taking blood earlier was enough to make her feel lightheaded for a moment before he yanked her away, and they'd continue to walk through the woods until it was nearly morning. As she walked, Tessa could feel her body weakening, she couldn't help but wonder if it had to do with Elijah and his predicament. She kept getting flashes of him- the same flashes, over and over again. Simply a captive Elijah, and a red door. It was as though it were on repeat in her head, she could feel her power being drawn from her, only weakening her in her time of need.

"I bet you've no idea why I dragged you along with me, do you?"

"Food?" Tessa ventured as he dragged her along behind him, "Leverage? I'm sure either one of those or possibly both works." She told him tiredly, her feet were dragging now.

"Yes, yes, of course. I saw how Klaus had reacted when he'd heard your voice. He was scared, nothing more than the weakling he's always been." Mikael insulted in a spitting tone. Tessa had nothing nice to say to the man that abused Klaus so fiercely at a young age, so she opted to remain silent. She could vaguely hear the shouting of Klaus from somewhere behind them, but she knew that with the blood loss and her power ebbing away she was in no shape to turn and run.

"Let's go, we're nearly there now." He said pulling her gruffly to keep up with him and his giant quick steps. Tessa bit into her wrist as she allowed it to drip against the ground in her last attempt to hope that someone would come help her.

After what felt like forever Tessa and Mikael stood before what looked like a newly vacant farm, he pulled her inside along with him just as the sun broke over the horizon. Mikael rushed her in quickly before pushing her to the floor with a thud. She groaned as her head hit the concrete flooring she rolled over, "He's not, you know." Was all Tessa said in defense.

Mikael just stared at her.

"Klaus. He's not a weakling. He has done a great many things requiring bravery." She finished lamely.

"He's weak!" Mikael yelled as he hovered over her. "As weak as you are." He finished as his eyes moved over her figure.

"I'm not!" Tessa shouted now feeling thoroughly pissed off.

"You are! If you stand with him, I can very much assure you; you are. He is weak in every sense of the word, he flaunts his powers and lords it over the humans. The true warriors. The ones that fight to live; they survive by a thread each day they're alive." Mikael yelled leaning over her.

"Your hatred for him stems from what? The fact that your wife was unfaithful? Seems more to me that you have an issue to take up with that crazy bitc-."

"Enough!" Mikael shouted, his eyes changing in his anger. He stood leaning over her, the stake held high. "I didn't always hate him. When Klaus was born, I was overjoyed. I thought, "This one- this one has the eyes of a warrior. He will be worthy." But, my hope was short-lived. And, when I found out that he wasn't really my son, my relief was glorious, but, that passed with the knowledge that he was begat of a beast."

"That is not his fault!" Tessa cried out in defense of the man she loved- or that she thought she loved. Their relationship was still a confusing maze of weird affections, and potentially dangerous amount of disdain. It could go either way between the two of them. Tessa thought almost shrugging.

"He murdered my wife!" Mikael roared now as he jerked Tessa up from the floor and slammed her against the far wall as she cried out. Tessa was pretty sure she felt something crack in her chest, probably a rib. She just hoped Klaus would get here soon, otherwise, she may end up dead. "His own mother!" He muttered after breathing hard. Tessa hadn't known that part of Klaus's history. It would certainly explain why he identified with her so much. Flashes of that fateful night two years ago hit her. She could remember the feel of the knife in her hand, the force she'd used when sticking it into her mother's chest. The triumph she felt moments after besting her mother- of course her humanity had been turned off at that point, thank you, Klaus. However, once it flipped back on the guilt, regret, and crippling self-loathing hit her.

"So have I…" Tessa admitted softly. She realized then that she'd never moved past it, she'd never forgiven herself for it- even while her emotions were off, she still felt as though she had a choice to kill or not.

"No wonder he cares for you…" Mikael muttered, pulling back from her with a look of disgust on his face. "You are two different halves of the same whole. You with your vampirism and, your Faye heritage- you are just as much of an abomination as him." He scoffed with a shake of his head. "An undead Fairy." A moment passed while Tessa grimaced feeling her ribs trying to knit itself back together. That's when he struck again, his fangs pierced her skin and, she felt the intense burning as he began to take her blood forcefully from her body. Tessa was vaguely aware of an ear piercing scream before her vision blurred, and her eyelids became heavy.

When Tessa began to come too again, she felt as though she were flying through the air, until she hit the floor, hard. The bright light raining over her from the windows told her it was day now.

Her mind was foggy, and she fought to remember where she was. Every inch of her body was screaming for blood, she knew that she was on the edge of desiccation. She groaned trying to push herself up as sounds of fighting reached her. Klaus. She thought briefly before someone was shoved through the cinderblock walls of the vacant building they were in. Mikael landed on the floor breathing hard as Klaus broke through the hole in the wall. His expression was void of any emotion, as he moved in over his step-father. Kneeling over him Tessa watched as he twisted Mikael's arm holding the stake back until he snatched the weapon from his hand and moved to pierce his heart with it.

Before Tessa even had time to react Klaus was standing beside her, he'd caught whatever it was Mikael had thrown her way. It was the weirdly discolored blade that Klaus had used against him earlier last night. Tessa breathed out a sigh of relief as she turned to look at Klaus, but then Mikael appeared behind him. Tessa saw the white oak stake flashing before her eyes, and she simply reacted. A scream tore from her throat nearly crippling her as she fell to her knees. She knew her powers had been acting wonky since the last time she'd screamed in the woods, just before Mikael had taken her. The scream wasn't enough to push him away, but it gave Klaus the time he'd needed to block his attack. Klaus threw Mikael from them, he bounced off the wall and Klaus's arm went around Tessa practically gliding with her over to the further side of the room.

Mikael recovered quickly, given the blood he'd had. He came at them full force as he struck Klaus in dead in the chest with the stake. Tessa felt a dimmed version of dread welling up in her stomach and became worried. "No!" She screamed before Mikael threw her already bruised and broken body from him and Klaus. She rolled over through the pain of her body and stared in shock at Klaus. The white oak stake protruding from his chest like a beacon for death.

"No." She whimpered out softly as her vision blurred. She'd been on the fence about her feelings since Klaus had openly admitted his own to her, she'd known even then, deep down she felt something for him. It wasn't until this very moment that she'd regretted not giving in sooner, not telling him in great detail how she'd felt. She wanted him to know that he was capable of love, and being loved by someone.

"Why aren't you burning?" She heard Mikael seethed as he stood over Klaus like a deranged, murderer. His eyes wide and brow furrowed. "If you were dead, you would burn." He trailed off.

"Burn!" She heard Mikael scream in anger.

Tessa had seen Klaus stab Mikael two years ago, and if Klaus really was dead his body would have been set ablaze by now. She was confused as to why the stake wasn't working, but she didn't care enough to question it. All she wanted to do was to yank the stake out.

Tessa vaguely heard the chanting in the other room and knew then the witch, Davina had come. She was draining the power of the stake, and there was only a window of time where Tessa would be able to save Klaus. Without a word Tessa watched Mikael move out of the room in search of those preventing him from murder.

Tessa dragged herself towards Klaus- even though her muscles and body were screaming to rest. She moved in, pulling herself up over him as she tried to pull the stake out. Mikael had really buried it in his chest, Tessa tried again unsuccessfully, but she paused taking a breath to gather what little energy she'd had left in her, and all she could think about was removing the stake, as her hands slid around it again she screamed. The same high pitched, shrieking scream she had hours ago in the woods. With very little effort Tessa felt the stake loosen, and she yanked it out.

Breathing a sigh of relief she fell over Klaus. She'd done it, she saved him. She tried to remain still as her body needed her to rest, she felt drained, emotionally, physically and she was completely wiped out mentally.

"What do you think you're doing?" Came Mikael's voice from behind her. Tessa gasped slowly turning over, the stake still weakly gripped in her hand.

"Stay away from us." She threatened, her voice was not conveying the message she'd wanted to be relayed. "Or, I'll kill you myself."

Mikael paused a few feet from them, and he began laughing, coldly. "You have the heart of a warrior my dear, but I'm afraid you are in no shape to fight. Perhaps I'll be merciful and kill you first, that way you don't have to watch as I tear out his heart." He threatened her, taking another step closer to them. Before he got in another step Tessa watched as a familiar looking man raced in with the speed of a vampire, and threw punches with Mikael.

Mikael dropped him quickly, though Tessa admitted it was a valiant attempt. "Now enough! Tonight has been the work of fools, I'll enjoy killing every last one of you." He threatened, his eyes moving over everyone in the room.

Tessa was surprised by Hayley appearing behind Mikael. "Yeah, I wouldn't bet on that." She said before swinging a makeshift weapon of a chain embedded into a chunk of concrete, swinging it around she hit him over the head, sufficiently throwing him to the floor. Tessa jumped as she felt Klaus's arms wrapping around her as he pulled her upright with him.

"It's over Mikael," Klaus said as people began to circle in around them, "You're outnumbered. Or, are you going to beg for your miserable life." Klaus said with a bravado that Tessa certainly wasn't feeling at the moment.

Mikael scoffed, "You think having people makes you strong?" Even in the face of fighting several people Mikael still laughed. "That just continues to prove how weak you really are. Come find me, when you don't have fools, women, and children fighting your battles." With that, he tossed down the makeshift stake Klaus had entered with and took his leave.

Everyone seemed on edge still after he walked out. Davina had left almost immediately. "C'mon…" Hayley said as she nudged the man Tessa remembered seeing with Elijah the day she'd first seen Mikael.

"Thank you...?" Tessa said softly, trailing off questioningly for his name, her eyes did not leave him. The tall, athletic man smirked over at her with a shrug.

"Marcel." He introduced.

"Yes, we appreciate your assistance," Klaus said as he looked at the two before him. He seemed to stress the word 'we', Tessa could sense some previous tension between the two. She was still very weak, and without Klaus, she wasn't sure she'd physically remain standing.

"Well, hey, you die; I die. Just call me selfish." The man said with a smirk.

"We're gonna check the perimeter before letting you two out of here. I've learned you can't be too sure of your parents." Hayley smirked as her eyes shifted up to Klaus. As the two of them walked off, Tessa looked up at Klaus. He took in the blood on both sides of her neck, and the leftover dried blood on her left leg.

"You've lost a lot of blood. Too much." He told her. She watched his arm flex up to his mouth. Her wandering hand caught him off guard, as it hovered over the spot in his chest where he'd been stabbed.

"You got it in the nick of time, love." He told her as he covered her hand with his own. Tessa's attention returned to his face, she knew she must look like crap, given the soft, pitying look that came over his features.

"Here." He told her before biting his wrist and offering it to her, "You need blood, you look as though you might desiccate at any moment." She didn't question him, she just took his arm in her palm and moved it to her mouth. As she drank she was getting more and more flashes of Elijah, and a red door. She watched as Elijah awoke from his trance, she got the sense that her banshee powers had journeyed somewhere it shouldn't have

"No more." He muttered from his knees.

"I'm afraid we've just begun." Tessa couldn't see anything but Elijah, but she could pinpoint that voice, it was Esther. All of a sudden Tessa was snapped back to herself, she released Klaus's wrist and pulled away looking around.

"Tessa, are you alright?" Klaus asked his concerned eyes taking in her scared expression.

"I-I-I-." Tessa was having a hard time forming words. It was as if she could feel something tightening around her neck. She gasped her hands moving to her throat. "Klaus-." She gasped out. He reached out to her and gripped her arm.

"Tessa? What-what is it?" He asked his eyes moving over her. Tessa's hand scrambled for her throat, but there was nothing there. Somehow she knew that Esther had something to do with this, but the necklace around her throat lay just where it had been always. Tessa's vision began to blur around the edges, she knew she only had moments before she would lose consciousness. "Elijah. Esther." She made a last-minute attempt at warning him before blacking out from lack of air.

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 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	6. Wheel in the Wheel

**I do not own Vampire Diaries, The Originals or any** **of its associated characters. Just Tessa and the ones you don't recognize, thank you.**

 **I'm so sorry to everyone! I know I've let the story lapse a bit, but I've had some crazy hectic schedules in life recently and it's been rough trying to carve out some time for writing, but I haven't stopped entirely. I am trying to keep things turning with my stories and what not. Thank you for checking back and being so patient. It is greatly appreciated.**

 **Thanks all and let me know what you think!**

 **BTW; I wanted to say that Tessa character is modeled after the woman in the cover photo, who is a very pretty model that goes by the name of Ebba Zingmark. Just in case anyone was curious. Thanks all, hope you enjoy!**

 **Thanks, guys!**

 **Chapter 6: Wheel inside the Wheel**

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Tessa awoke to screams, inhuman screams. Screams that told her someone was at the unmerciful hands of torture- unlike the recent mental torture she'd just emerged from. Tessa felt as though she'd just been forced to relive every single terrible thing she's done in the last two years of her life. Although, admittedly not all of it was bad. There were some memories of Klaus in her head that she'd rather run through again. Klaus's windows and mirrors seemed to have been fixed entirely from however long ago it was when she'd broken them. She stared in surprise when the door opened, and she watched Klaus enter, shirtless.

"Oh, apologies. I hadn't known you were awake-." Klaus said cutting himself off as he turned to take Tessa in. She was still in the same clothes she wore when Mikael had kidnapped her, her jacket was slung over the loveseat couch by the end of the bed.

"How-How long have I been-?"

"You've been in and, out for the last day and overnight. You had us all worried for a while there. How're you feeling?" He asked moving in closer. Tessa's eyes moved over him, his face was covered in blood, as well as the shirt he'd carelessly tossed aside was as well.

"Klaus? What-?"

"It's not my blood, love." He nonchalantly assured her as she stood from his bed quickly. "I'm quite alright. Just looking for the whereabouts of my brother. Your warning did cut down on time spent looking elsewhere. Torturing information out of people did take some time though. Luckily we knew who to look for because of you, as suspected, Esther has Elijah. As to what she's doing to him, we don't yet know."

"I-I can't be sure, but it looked as though he were sleeping. She-She's in his head. Poking around, and doing god knows what else." Tessa told him. "I think she just did the same to me…" Tessa trailed off looking away from him.

Klaus's hand came up under her tilting her head back to look at him again, "Hey, it will be alright." He told her.

Tessa shook her head slowly though. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach, she knew his mother had a hand in something over her. She just couldn't pinpoint what it was, and she didn't like it. "No Klaus. We need to fight her. Together."

She watched Klaus's concern slip from his face and a wall of determination overwhelmed him. It was getting easier to read his moods again- almost as it used to be two years ago in Mystic Falls. "No." He said his mouth set in a hard line. "You can't help. I know you feel obligated, and-."

"I have to Klaus!" Tessa cut him off angrily. "She's not just messing with you or-or your brother. She's messing with my life as well, and I'm not just going to sit idly by and let her. The last time she entered my life, she killed Alaric had me set on the run from the father of my child, and now?" She paused taking in a breath, she wanted to tell him about her child, about Alarice safely tucked away in 'No Magic land Mystic Falls but whatever spell his mother had over her prevented it. All that mattered to her concerning Alarice was that she was safe. Her hand fiddled with the lightning bolt charm on the dainty yet, domineering chain around her neck. "I don't want to lose you." She finished her voice growing soft, as her hand moved up to stroke his cheek. "I can't do it again, now that I know how much I care for you."

Klaus stood there, he seemed shocked at Tessa finally admitting how she felt for him- they'd slept together, yes, but she hadn't flat out admitted her affections for him until now. His eyes moved over her slight figure, and before she could react. Klaus had his mouth to hers, and his arms around her waist, her body now firmly pressed against his.

"You've no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that. Glad to know it only take impending doom, and the threat my actual death for you to admit your feelings." He said smirking as he rid her of her tank top, and bra. Tessa chuckled as her arms slid around his shoulders pulling him back to her, and they resumed kissing. She felt his hands slip lower as they bent around the curve of her rear before pulling her up into his arms. He began moving slowly towards the adjoining bathroom. The stand-alone shower took up the middle of the room separating the vanity and sinks from the tub and the toilet. The dark tiles surrounding the bathroom were a sharp difference from the bright fluorescent lights above. Tessa's fingers worked at the jeans he wore she undid them quickly before shifting her weight so they could slide down his legs enough to be kicked away. As soon as they were she found her back pressed against the cool, porcelain tiles, she gasped at the cold as Klaus's warm hands dived to the waist of her jeans, he'd all but shredded them down the zipper. Tessa gasped as he yanked the torn pieces of denim from her legs, within seconds Klaus had turned on the shower and pulled her in with him.

Klaus slid the glass door shut as he turned around at lightning speed, and took Tessa up against the shower wall. She moaned out some unintelligible noises as her hands gripped at Klaus's muscled back. Water from the shower beat down on them as Klaus began a steady rhythm. She groaned her eyes nearly rolling back into her head. His hands gripped her body tight, as though he wanted to possess her. He wanted her sole focus on him. She cried out as he pulled her down on him, bringing her wandering mind back to everything he was evoking from her. She felt one of his hands trail up her water soaked arm and move to cup her neck as his mouth trailed down the other side from kissing her lips. She groaned when she felt him pause in his movements.

Klaus pulled back to look at her with a wily grin over his exceedingly kissable lips. Water dripped over his face, from the mop of curly hair atop his head as his eyes moved over her figure laid out against the tiled wall before him.

"Klaus? What-?" She heard her panting voice and knew he had her exactly where he wanted her. A sliver of fear crept in, as he was as unpredictable as a hurricane.

"I need to hear you say it again." He told her, his hoarse, soft voice was like sex to her ears.

"Sa-say what?" She panted as she tried to pull herself up higher against him so she could resume the rhythm herself.

"Please, love. Indulge me." He said as she felt him lapping at her collarbone before moving outwards. One of his hands tweaked a nipple as before kneading her breast in his palm. Tessa gasped trying to grind her hips against his in a vain attempt for some friction.

"Klaus, I-." She cut herself off with a groan as he bit the rounded curve of her shoulder while his hands moved down over her ribs to her hips again. Tessa groaned loudly as his hands all but lifted her up only to slam her back onto him. It was clear he was still in a torturous mood from his morning activities. Tessa gasped groaning her approval. Klaus simply smirked down at her in response. Just waiting. He moved her head gently to his shoulder, and she knew he'd intended on giving her his blood, due to the poisonous nature werewolf venom in his bite. She bit down slowly, her true face flashing quickly as her teeth quickly sunk into his soft flesh.

He groaned and she felt his hand grip her hip bone tighter as his hips bucked up into her, Tessa groaned her fingers tightening their own hold on him. He grunted as he pulled her against his body so to prevent her from moving against him. She pulled back groaning her protest. "Klaus," She gasped out once again at his suddenly immobile body, she was laid out bare for him, and he still needed to hear her say she needed him. He needed to hear her say how much she wanted him so she did just that. "I want you, Klaus. Please. I need this." Her hands gripped any part of him she could in trying to move her body against his. He practically growled in agreement, Tessa felt his chest reverberate from the inhumane noises he made as he acquiesced to her half-mumbled, unintelligible request. He continued to rain pleasure over her like the shower above them before her body could no longer take it. She felt as if she'd shattered over him completely. Her body felt as though it had come undone entirely and he was the only thing that held her together. His own shout followed in the minutes after.

Her head rested on his shoulder as she breathed in panting breaths. She groaned unsure if she could even stand, luckily for her Klaus had zero intentions of having her walk away from him, he was quick with cleaning both of them, taking extra care with her. Tessa was surprised at how gentle he was given the edge of roughness he'd just displayed, but she went with it unquestioningly.

Before she knew it Klaus had her wrapped in a towel, along with himself before he deposited her into his bed. "I do have to take my leave, however, you sweetheart need to be here. Rest. Lord only knows what wickedness my mother has planned, and I hate for you to be caught in the cross-fire." He said to her once he'd dressed. He left a lingering kiss on her forehead before she watched him leave his mood chipper, and he was grinning widely. Tessa couldn't see what it was exactly, but there was something tucked under his arm.

Tessa tried to sit up only to notice her clothes were gone, besides that her body was screaming for her to remain still for the time being. She knew the sore, and stiffness would be gone momentarily, but Klaus had still taken her clothes. She huffed but knew she could find something before following him to face his mother. She had no intentions of remaining in the compound while he ran out to take on Esther. She was not about to lose someone again. As she rested there she heard a familiar ringing. Looking across the room she found her phone lying on Klaus's dresser, with Alaric's name scrawled across the screen. Tessa was up and across the room, not caring that she'd lost the towel along the way.

"Hello?" She said excitedly into the phone.

"There you are. I've only been trying to reach you for almost two days now." Alaric said angrily.

"I'm sorry, I told you down here wasn't safe here." She reasoned.

Alaric scoffed, "Isn't that how it goes with vampires?" He asked sarcastically.

"Hey!" Tessa said angrily as she moved around the room now looking for something. Anything she could wear.

"I'm sorry, I'm having my own vampire issues here." He muttered his tone dark.

"What do you mean?" Tessa asked sharply abandoning her quest for clothing at the lack of safety she assumed her daughter had. "I thought Mystic Falls was off limits to magic- vampires included?" She finished now more alert and waiting for Alaric's response.

"It-It is. That's not-. I'm sorry, that's not what I meant." Alaric said quickly. "Damon's back." He finished with a frustrated sigh.

"What?" Her disbelief clear in her tone.

"Yeah, I don't know the specifics of exactly everything yet, but he's been back, and pissed at me for erasing every one of Elena's happy memories of him. Now he's trying to get in her good graces by any means necessary it seems."

"Ahhh, because now you're not an original vampire to put the memories back…." Tessa trailed off getting the predicament he was in.

"Exactly."

"Have you talked to him at all?" She ventured the response would be a no, but she asked anyway as she searched through drawers.

"No," Alaric replied indignantly. "Why would I? He compelled me to lie and manipulate my girlfriend so he could get back on Elena's good graces."

"Well, I mean, this is Damon we're talking about…" Tessa pointed out.

"Yeah." Alaric scoffed, Tessa could practically hear his head shaking.

"Damon's Damon." She began with a sigh, "He does what he wants and thinks about the consequences later, you know this, I know this. Everyone knows this, but he has a good heart, Ric. He means the best."

"Forgive me for having a hard time believing that right now," Alaric replied curtly.

"Hey, when you died." Tessa had hesitated before she said that last word. That dark time in her life left a lasting impact, she hated thinking about it, "I had no one; not a single person to rely on. You know who was there?" She asked him.

"Damon," Alaric said begrudgingly.

"Yes. Damon. He's been there when you needed him, and when you didn't. Forgive him and get over it. Now, how's Ali?" Tessa asked changing the subject. She didn't have much pity for Ric. She knew he and, Damon would make up eventually- they were always close before. She was still surprised that Damon had cheated death. Again.

"Good. She's good. It was an adjustment for her to move here, but she's doing well in daycare- it's better now with the anti-magic barrier, we don't have any more episodes of photokinesis happening."

"Good." Tessa sighed relieved. She knew Alaric and her would have to tackle that conversation, but she didn't want it to be now while she had zero knowledge or control over whatever Fae powers Ali had.

"I left a message the night we got back here, Tessa. How is it that you hadn't had any time to call?" Alaric asked.

"Uhm, well I don't know if you recall, but it's very easy to get caught up in-."

"Original business?" Alaric asked. She heard the disapproval in his tone of voice. "Tessa you shouldn't even be involving yourself in it. Do you not remember what life was like for you two years ago?"

"Yes, Ric. I do." She replied her tone had an edge of annoyance in it, "I can recall skipping town just after finding out I was pregnant due to my child's father wanting nothing more than to murder both our unborn baby and myself."

"I-." Ric began, but cut himself off. Tessa knew it was a low blow, but she wanted to remind Ric, that at one point he was just as bad, if not worse than Klaus himself. "I'm sorry." He muttered his voice low.

"Do you not think I want to be there with my child? Unfortunately for me, we can't all become human again, Ric. So until it is safe for Ali to come out of the anti-magic border I will just have to keep my distance, and for the time being, I am taking out those that prove to be a danger to our daughter."

"You're right. I'm-I'm sorry. I just-. She's been asking for you, and I don't know what to tell her."

"She's two, Ric. She can be distracted by lots of things. Keep her occupied. The more stuff she does the less likely it is she'll stop to think…." Tessa trailed off realizing that's what she was doing herself. With all this Klaus-business. She knew that once this was over, she'd be able to track down the witches that had taken her daughter, to begin with.

Alaric had begun to drone on about how much of a help his girlfriend's actually been with Ali, she's set up some swimming lessons, and daycare, playgroups. Listening to it just made Tessa's heartache. She wasn't able to be there, and do these things with her own daughter. Some strange woman was though.

"Listen, I really have to go." Tessa cut him off quickly, "I will try to call tonight before Ali gets put to bed, alright?"

"Alright, call about 7." Ric agreed easily. Tessa nodded as she said her goodbyes before moving back to tearing apart Klaus's bedroom for clothes. She needed a distraction, and fast.

Luckily for her, Hayley was still in the compound and stumbled upon Tessa in Klaus's room. After an awkward greeting, when Tessa had to race to cover herself with anything she could find. Hayley was nice enough to allow her to borrow some clothes. The pair exchanged small talk about rescuing Elijah, and Klaus's adamant decision to go alone- which Tessa made known she intended to defy. Hayley seemed torn between following along with her, but she mentioned that someone else had been captured along with Elijah, someone who'd been sentenced to die at midnight.- she referred to him as one of 'her wolves'. Oliver. Tessa was quick to put a rather handsome face to the name- the one she'd met at the bar. Who'd looked rather cozy with the witch that turned out to be Finn Mikaelson.

"Why would they kill him? He seemed pretty comfortable with Finn Mikaelson just a few days ago?" Tessa asked throwing on a grey cotton tank top. She paired it with a green army jacket and skinny denim.

"Ollie was only working with them in an effort to unite the wolves- to get them an upper hand among the factions of the city."

Tessa kept quiet, she could hear the fierceness in which Hayley's tone held- it was obvious she would go above and beyond for one of the wolves. "I'm going to see Marcel, maybe he's had better luck with finding Elijah's whereabouts."

"How would that help Oliver?" Tessa began as she watched Hayley move to head out.

"I'm assuming that their being held in the same place. Handling an Original vampire and a werewolf can't be easy to hide." Hayley said with a glance back before she disappeared around the corner. Tessa sighed running her hand through her long red hair. She already lost enough time thanks to Klaus taking her clothes, she had to act quickly if she were to find him, and she hadn't the faintest idea where to look.

After running around in the most obvious of places in the French Quarter she quickly realized Klaus wasn't in the area, so she moved on to the Lafayette Cemetery. The power in the pace was always overwhelming for her, it sent her senses soaring, and put her on edge. Her banshee powers were still out of whack though and she knew they wouldn't be of any use until whatever Esther had done to bind her to whatever magic she was casting had run its course.

Tessa heard the growl of wolves in the distance and knew that Klaus was not here. His desire to seek out Esther had nothing to do with the wolves she controlled. She made a quick escape from the graveyard and sought refuge in the nearby woods. Along her trails she kept a sharp ear out for any noises, she used her senses to track him, the way she uses to with her mother and sister on hunts that she'd gone on seemingly eons ago.

Tessa reached the edge of the woods, it opened up to a house that was destroyed by fire, a recently dug up coffin lay before her, and Tessa looked towards the little yard fenced in by hedges. Esther sat upon a make-shift rock bench, but no Klaus. Tessa made her move quickly, racing over the hedges she found Klaus sprawled out across the grass and was torn between the two. Her hesitation cost her the split-second surprise she was depending on.

"Ah, I was wondering when you'd come to his aid," Esther said with a smirk standing quickly. Tessa felt a weight lifting as Esther came in closer. Tessa turned around quickly as Klaus gasped sitting up. His eyes found Tessa and she saw an annoyed expression pass over his features.

"Apologies for the headache. Seems you've awoken earlier than I expected. No matter. You said you wanted Elijah. He's sleeping chained to the wall of a tomb in Lafayette Cemetery. You will be allowed to grab him and bring him home once the spell hiding him has lifted. This just gives us an opportunity to chat."

"I've had just about enough of your talking for one day," Klaus grumbled as he pulled himself to his feet. Tessa looked at Klaus to his mother trying to assess the situation. She moved to stand by Klaus quickly.

"Oh, you'll want to hear this," Esther said with a small all-knowing smile. The pair heard her muttering a chant softly, and everything changed. Tessa stared at Klaus her eyes moving up over his form, she felt her body heat up. It was as though his mere glance could set her ablaze. She reached out to him, and within a moment his mouth was on hers. She gasped at his touch over her clothed body.

"Oh god." She muttered, rolling her eyes as the feeling of his hand on her waist over the thin material of the tank top sent her into a frenzy of emotions.

"What is this?" She heard Klaus wonder aloud his eyes scanning over Tessa's figure. The pair glanced around only to find themselves completely alone. Esther had taken her leave after securing a distraction. Tessa. She hadn't wanted any part of this, but it seemed to her willing or not she was a part of the elaborate plan his mother had put together. Tessa gasped as Klaus's hand moved to her hip as he tried to push her away slightly only to have her arms wrap around his neck pulling him back with her. Klaus seemed to be able to snap out of it slightly, Tessa however, had zero control. She was hating every second of it.

"Tessa stop," Klaus told her, his eyes wide with surprise as her legs seemed to wrap around his body of their own accord. The love she felt for him was one thing, but whatever this was, was nothing but lust.

"Oh god." She gasped out. "I-I-I can't. I don't-." She groaned as he all but fell against her, pinning her between him and a tree. "Klaus. I-I can't control it." She heard him growl as her hips bucked up against his. "It- The necklace." She gasped out her body undulating against his. She felt like her body was burning up, and Klaus was the only thing to quell the flames.

She watched as his eyes moved down from her face, and paused staring down at the lightning bolt hanging from her throat. He blinked a few times- Tessa could see it were as if he was going into a trance. No. She thought angrily her own precarious control slipping as she felt him leaning heavily against her. "Klaus." She groaned her back arching, pressing herself closer to him.

Klaus's eyes snapped back up to her face, it was blatantly obvious she was uncomfortable, and needed one thing, as tempted as he was he had other things needing his attention significantly more. Klaus reached up for the charm dangling from Tessa's neck and yanked on it, sufficiently snapping the dainty charm and he flung the bolt away from them quickly. Tessa's body ceased it's writhing against his, and his head seemed to clear immediately.

It was as if they'd finally been able to come up for air. They'd been underwater, in their own world, and now they could see the whole picture. Klaus hadn't been affected by the charm as much as Tessa had, it simply heightened his emotions he'd always harbored for her from the day he met her.

Tessa leaned back against the tree, her legs quickly unwinding from Klaus's waist, sliding back to her own two feet. She stood there before him awkwardly.

"It was charmed…" Klaus said lowly, his eyes not once leaving the place the necklace had fallen. "My mother cast a spell on it." He finished still in disbelief. "It makes sense."

"She-She wanted to use me. To-to get to you. Klaus, I-."

"How would you know that?" He asked her an eyebrow quirked as he looked down at Tessa. She moved to stand in closer to Klaus only to find him pressing her back against the tree. "If you weren't working with my mother, she'd never have told you her plan, love. So I'll ask again, only once. How would you know that?"

"She gave me the necklace." Tessa cried out quickly against his hold on her. Klaus's hand moved to the chain around her neck, she felt fear creep into her, she could imagine him yanking it, suffocating her. She could see him heading into one of his darker places of his mind.

"What?" He asked her, his voice full of disbelief. "You've been working with her then?" He was officially teetering on the edge of paranoia now. His eyes widened in slight surprise.

"No, Klaus-."

"Enough of your lying." He practically snarled down at her as he pulled her in closer by the lapels of her jacket.

"I'm not-." Tessa tried to defend herself, but Klaus's forearm was once again pressed against her neck cutting the words off mid-sentence. She was pushed back against the tree roughly.

"I said enough. I should've known it was all an act. I bet your daughter was never even taken, was she?" He hissed at her ear.

"No." Tessa gritted out, "She was."

"Oh, 'was' is it? Is she back all of a sudden? Now that you've proven your worth as a loyal soldier I'm sure." Klaus seethed as he pushed her away from him.

"Klaus, it wasn't like that! I never-."

"I won't hear another word of it. I want you out of my city by morning." He told her coldly, his eyes freezing her where she stood.

"Or what?" Tessa challenged. She knew she would be able to take him, she didn't want to. She was just starting to realize her feelings for him were real. Genuine. She just had to prove it.

"You don't want to test me right now, Tessa. I have no mercy for those that have used, and betrayed me."

"I'm well aware of what you're capable of, Klaus. You won't hurt me."

"The time for that has long passed, love." He told her, a dark gleam in his eye. Before Tessa could blink, he had her pressed against one of the bigger trees at the edge of the woods. "As of this moment, I feel… nothing. Not lust. Not love. I can barely stand to look at you." He whispered to her, his face a mere centimeters away from hers. "Leave now, and I will show you mercy. Stay and, I can assure you; you'll wish you had run." Tessa felt her heartbreaking at his harsh words. She knew that they were spoken out of anger. Out of a false sense of betrayal, but they still stung.

She felt her eyes just itching to water and a lump that was growing increasingly difficult to breathe past forming in her throat.

"I should've known one day you'd seek your revenge, I suppose I never thought you'd stoop to such low levels to get it." He told her, and before she could open her mouth to form a defense he was gone. Tessa was left completely and utterly alone in the cool early November night.

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 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	7. Christmas Through Your Eyes

**I do not own Vampire Diaries, The Originals or any** **of its associated characters. Just Tessa and the ones you don't recognize, thank you.**

 **Alright all, this is a crossover story so, this chapter takes place over Ep.10 of The Vampire Diaries, and unfortunately after the last chapter there is a little less Klaus in it than I'd have liked, but I do have to play out everyone else's relationship with Tessa, not just hot Klaus scenes- although admittedly those are much more fun to write. lol. Thank you so much for checking back and being so patient. It is greatly appreciated.**

 **Thanks all and let me know what you think!**

 **BTW; I wanted to say that Tessa character is modeled after a woman, who is a very pretty model that goes by the name of Ebba Zingmark. Just in case anyone was curious. Thanks all, hope you enjoy!**

 **Thanks, guys!**

 **Chapter 7: Christmas Through Your Eyes**

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Tessa groaned as Alaric entered her one room apartment she'd managed to compel upon her return to the border of town. "Seriously, Tess?" She heard him ask.

Tessa rolled her eyes as she threw the blanket over her head. She'd been trying to avoid calls and texts since the night Klaus had accused her of siding with his mother- which she supposed was a few weeks ago now. She felt the blanket lift, and saw Alaric standing before her in his usual jeans and army jacket attire. "How much alcohol have you consumed here?" He asked his eyes moving up her body before looking around at the empty liquor bottles.

"Enough." She grumbled moving to yank the blanket back. "How'd you find me?" She added after unsuccessfully yanking them back.

"You called me last night. Demanding to talk to Ali, remember?" He replied as he snatched up her whiskey bottle on the floor by her bed. "I suppose not." He added as an after thought then shrugged as he took a swig himself.

"So what happened?" He asked sitting next to her.

Tessa rolled her eyes sitting up now annoyed at his continued presence in her temporary home. "I don't wanna talk about it." Tessa replied sharply standing from her bed, and untangling herself from the sheets. She wasn't proud of the last few weeks, but she couldn't enter the anti magic border to see Ali, and she couldn't just go back to Klaus without any proof of her innocence, she was fearful he'd make good on his threat. So she was here in the middle ground where she could just drink her problems away.

She moved across the room not bothering to cover herself up as she grabbed her jeans she left on the floor from the night before. Alaric simply stared, his eyes moving over her again.

"Oh, c'mon, Ric. It's not like you haven't seen it all already." She told him shaking her head.

"Uhhm, yeah, not in quite a while…" He trailed off uncomfortably, as he lanced to the rather dirty looking mauve rug that covered the floor of the dingy apartment. She sighed rolling her eyes as she put her jeans on.

"What're you doing here then, Ric? If I wanted to be found I'd have called you."

"You did. Not that you can remember any of it." He replied looking up at he with a cheeky smirk. Tessa chuckled shaking her head as she brought her hand up to her forehead.

"Right." Tessa acknowledged.

"Well, I suppose I meant what are you doing here? I can't go into Mystic Falls, and it isn't safe for you to bring Ali out here. So…" She trailed off zipping up her jeans and moving in to take the whiskey bottle from Alaric.

"I-. I don't know. I was checking on you. You failed to mention where you were exactly so, I kinda traced your location from your cell phone."

Tessa paused looking at him, her face deadpanned. "You-. You traced my cell phone?" She asked blinking in surprise. She'd forgotten how resourceful he could be in their time apart. He'll be fun when Ali hit her teens. She thought with a small smirk.

Alaric shrugged with a nod. "You were kinda a wreck. Talking about Ali, and then… Klaus." The change in his tone was evident to her, though Tessa didn't verbally acknowledge it.

"Oh." She told him as she took a bigger swig of the brown liquor.

"It went that well then?" Alaric said moving to his feet. Tessa eyed him up and down. She hadn't been this close to him since before she'd left to hunt down Alarice months ago in September. Before she could stop herself she found her arms around Alaric, as she pulled him into a hug. He was surprised, but didn't pull away. She felt his arms wrap around her waist, slowly, as he pulled her closer.

Tessa felt her eyes glaze over with tears, and before she knew it the whole ordeal from New Orleans was pouring out of her. She told him about Klaus's parents coming back from the dead, about the control Esther exerted over her via a stupid love charm, about being kidnapped, and used as bait. She told him her feelings towards Klaus had grown, and now he wanted nothing to do with her.

Before she knew it an hour had passed of her just explaining things to him, about Klaus, about him losing his own child, about his psychotic parents endeavors for him and the rest of the Original vampires, and how her own safety was at risk because of it.

Alaric sighed heavily by the time she finished her story, he downed the remaining shot left in her bottle. "Well, as much as I'd like to give you some enlightening advice on how to fix everything, my life isn't going all that well myself, so who am I to talk?" He asked as he put the bottle down on the table they were sitting at. Tessa scoffed at him with a smirk.

"If you told my last year I'd be sitting here with you talking with you about the problems I'm having with, Klaus Mikaelson of all people… I'd have called you crazy."

"Well, that's not too far from reality." Alaric admitted with a shrug.

"That's not true. Seems to me, you've been handling things really well, what with you returning as a vampire, and than becoming human again. Plus, you've had Ali for the last few months." Tessa pointed out. "Which is more than I can say for myself…"

"Yeah. Well, I've had help. Besides, you sending her into Mystic falls with us was the best decision for her, it kept her safe, Tess." Alaric becoming more serious by the end. She felt his hand hover over hers, before he pulled back. "Speaking of that…" He trailed off his voice taking on a different tone entirely, more urgent. Tessa was picking up on his nerves. "I-I need you to watch Ali. Jo is missing. I haven't heard from her since yesterday night." Tessa paused at his words. Her mind seemingly clearing up the fog within at the mention of her seeing Ali again.

Tessa paused, she almost forgot Alaric was seeing someone given how close they'd been in the last hour since he'd arrived. "Well, what makes you think she's missing? She's a doctor right? She could still be-?"

"I had Elena check earlier, she's not at the hospital. Not too mention she kinda has a psycho twin brother on the loose from his prison world that he was thrown into 18 years ago."

"I-I'm sorry-? Psycho twin? Prison world?" Tessa questioned.

"It-it's a long story, and I'll explain when I can. For now, I just really need you to come to my place to watch Ali. It-It's not within Mystic Falls."

"But, I thought-."

"We do live in Mystic Falls, but I didn't before- when I wasn't-."

"Human. Right." Tessa said with a nod.

"I can bring Ali there, and-and-."

"You don't have to say anything else. I want to see our daughter, Ric." Tessa said standing quickly.

"Well, alright. Let's go then." With that said she and, Ric moved quickly out of the studio apartment and down the stairs towards his jeep. They took the short drive closer to Whitmore college, Tessa became more and more restless the closer they got. It was clear she was nervous, and excited to see her daughter again.

Alaric's jeep made the slow crawl up the drive way, Tessa quickly hopped out before he even stopped the vehicle, she was at the door to the house within seconds, pushing it open to find Elena sitting on the couch besides Damon, she was holding, and playing with Ali. Tessa halted at the door, her eyes moving to take in her daughter's small features. The light blue eyes, the cute button nose, her small pout of lips, and narrow chin. Tessa took in all of it, her daughter was definitely taller than she remembered, and that fact alone broke her heart. She noticed Ali's chin length brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail atop her head. Tessa moved in quickly as she held her arms out expectantly. Elena handed her off wordlessly with a smile. "Hey baby." She greeted softly as Ali said 'mama' and her hands reached up towards Tessa's face. Tessa was so absorbed in staring at her daughter she neglected to see Damon stand up.

"Hey Tess." Damon greeted with a very Damon-like smirk. Memories hit Tessa like a ton of bricks. Damon had been her rock when she had to leave town. When he'd had to tell her Ric was gone. He helped her through everything, whether it was finding a place to live, or accompanying her to doctors. Once Tessa had Ali, thought regrettably, she'd strayed away from any and all things supernatural. She'd had a fantasy of being able to raise her daughter in a world not immersed in beings and creatures with powers, but given their lineage she knew it was nothing more than a dream.

"Damon." Tessa said with a warm smile. "I'm glad to see you back among the living." She finished with a hug to the man before her.

Elena had a confused expression as the pair exchanged words- none of the rest of the gang had known of Damon's involvement partly due to Tessa not wanting to be found, and partly because Damon usually kept his good deeds under wraps from those around him. He grinned down at Tessa, and Ali with a shrug, "At least someone is." He joked with a smirk.

"You ready?" Alaric asked, clearly antsy to get going.

"Where're-?" Elena began but, the ringing of her phone cut her off quickly. She answered it as she walked off into the adjoining bedroom. Tessa turned to talk to the guys, but found them gone quickly. She huffed sitting with Ali unsure what to do now. A few minutes passed when Elena emerged from the bed room muttering about meeting Caroline at the hospital- something about her mother. Tessa wasn't sure, but she acknowledged it anyways as she watched Elena left.

Tessa was left for some serious self-reflection as she pulled the diaper bag closer, and plucked a couple of toys from it before leaving them besides her daughter on the floor. She debated calling anyone from New Orleans just to get any updates on Elijah- sure, her and Klaus weren't exactly talking, but she was still worried for the others. Her ringing cell phone pulled her from her mind, moving quickly she half-expected to see Ric or Damon's number glowing across the screen, but she was pleasantly surprised to find a different one entirely.

"Hel-hello?" Tessa asked, didn't mask her surprise as well as she'd hoped.

"You sound surprised, love." Came that voice she knew all too well.

"Well, given the that last I heard of your voice, my life was being threatened, so me saying I'm surprised to hear it again would be an understatement." She quipped from her end. She heard Klaus chuckle on his line before taking a quick breath, "What do you want, Klaus?" She interrupted, her tone suggesting she was not in the mood for playful banter.

"I-I was wrong, Tessa." He admitted

"Oh, were you?" Tessa asked, her bitterness slipping through the tone in her voice. She was waiting for an actual apology.

"I need your help." She paused turning back around to face her daughter now playing with a musical toy before her. She just got her back, did she want to leave so soon? "If it wasn't serious, I wouldn't ask. I've been told your near Mystic Falls again." She heard Klaus's tone change slightly at his last statement.

"You were having me followed?" Tessa asked sharply. Her eyes glancing to her daughter as she paced the length of the living room.

"You can't have expected that I just send you from the city with no protection. Once I was informed of everything the next day I-."

"I'm sorry. Informed?" Tessa cut him off. "Who are you working with now, Klaus?"

"Seems the night of our fight some weeks back, my allies rounded up my now not-so-traitorous brothers." She could practically hear the smirk on his face. "Kol told me everything, love. Whereas I assumed you were working with my mother out of paranoia. Kol told me she forced your hand. I'm sorry, love." Tessa paused thinking things over in her head. As much as she wanted to help everyone in New Orleans, she still wanted to spend a couple more days with her daughter.

"What is it you need from me, Klaus?"

She heard the hesitation on the other end before he continued, "The stake."

"What?" She asked sharply.

"Klaus. Me having the stake may be the only thing keeping you and your family alive-."

"We shall return it right after. We have a plan to take down my incessant mother, and the plan requires the stake…" He trailed off seemingly expecting her to put up a fight.

"Fine." She agreed. She could remember their mother telling her she had no intentions of harming them, but she also recalled their mother's intentions of killing off every other vampire on the earth- the only way to do that would be to stake their bodies as she vacated their souls. "Meet me half-way to New Orleans. It's in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Erwin Marine Riverfront at 9 o'clock tonight. Do not be late." Tessa said deciding if he had a plan to take down Esther, and she had to give him the stake she'd be leaving with him.

"Course, love." He said to her. Tessa hung up quickly his voice only bringing her back in time to when she'd been at her happiest. She breathed out a sigh turning to face her daughter.

"Hey sweet girl, want some lunch?"

Time had passed quickly throughout the day Tessa was losing track of it as she watched over at her child in wonder, and contentment. Tessa had just finished cleaning up lunch for her daughter when the front door opened, and Alaric walked in followed by a dark haired woman with blue eyes- the same one that had come with him to New Orleans.

"Where's Ali?" Alaric asked looking around.

"Napping." Tessa told him as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She scooped up some left over toys on the floor and put them in the diaper bag. Alaric glanced in the direction of the bed room, before nodding.

"Listen, thank you for-."

"She's my daughter too, Ric. Don't thank me. It's kind of our job to watch over her." Tessa told him with a pointed look.

"Right." Alaric agreed as the woman came up beside him. "Oh, I'm sorry. Tessa; this is Jo. Jo. Tessa." He introduced. Tessa looked over the woman before her, she looked pretty beat up. She was cradling her arm, and was wrapped up in a flannel blanket. "Hi" She greeted her eyes moving over Jo's body.

"You uh- You okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Just need to treat my arm is all." She said with a half a smile.

"Yeah, you should go rest." Alaric said as he made a move to push Jo towards the bedroom.

"I-uh-I could help you with that, you know." Tessa offered as the pair paused.

"No, I'm- I'm a doctor. I can patch it up." Jo assured.

"Yes, well, Doctor. I just put my daughter to sleep in there, and unless you have a PhD in sleeping toddlers, I recommend you just take my blood."

Jo glanced up at Ric, who shrugged as he let go of her moving towards the nearby couch. "O-okay. That's true." The woman relented. Tessa bit into her wrist and, moved into the kitchen grabbing a glass from the one of the cabinets. She poured in a bit of her blood, before filling the glass up with some red wine left out on the counter. One of the many tricks she picked up along her many extended stays with the Mikaelson's.

"Here you go." Tessa said handing off the glass to Jo, now seated next to Alaric.

"Thanks." Jo replied as she winced leaning forwards to take it.

"Not, that I want to rush you or anything, but shouldn't you, and Ali be heading back into Mystic Falls? You know, where magic can't get to you?"

"No, Kai is near there. It's better for them to stay out here." Ric cut in quickly.

"Kai? Who the hell is-?

Jo's quick intake of breath cut Tessa off as she set the wine glass down. "Why did that seem different from when Elena did it-?"

Tessa opened her mouth at the same time as Alaric did quickly cutting his answer. "It's a long story." Alaric shut his mouth giving her a pointed look. She didn't want to get into the Faerie aspect of things- although to be completely fair her powers weren't the same since that fateful day with Esther. She had put that on the back burner for the last few weeks, but it was still alarming.

"O-kay." Jo said as the blanket slid down her shoulders and she flexed her arm. Tessa knew her blood was different from that of a typical vampires, but the only other human that had consumed it was Alaric, and the only known side-effect was the unusual spike in their libido, and she intended to be long gone if that need arose.

"Well, I don't wanna leave Damon in charge too long. Things tend to take a downwards spiral with him left unsupervised." Ric said as he kissed Jo quickly before moving to stand.

"Hang on. Maybe I can help?" Tessa asked as she was quick with following Ric out of the house.

"You couldn't make that anymore obvious Tessa?" Ric asked as they both climbed into his jeep.

"What?" She asked, her eyes wide with faked confusion. While she never admitted it out loud, she never liked the idea of Ric bringing a girl around her daughter, granted in this scenario it was helpful to have someone there to keep her safe from the looming danger.

"You bolted out of there without so much as a goodbye." He pointed out bluntly.

"Well forgive me, Ric, for feeling just a tad uncomfortable around your new girlfriend. One, that seems to have no problem fulfilling the role as mother to our daughter." Tessa snapped as Ric took a sharp turn.

"She's just trying to help!" Ric hollered as the four wheeler picked up speed down the winding road. "No one said you had to go off gallivanting with Klaus freaking Mikaelson!"

"I knew it! I knew that's what your bad attitude was about…" Tessa trailed off grumbling as she crossed her arms.

"Of course that's what this is about, Tessa." He muttered glancing over at her darkly. "One minute you were in Mississippi with our child and the next you're gone for a month. A whole month without a word. Then it all comes out that you've been with the freaking guy the whole time. So sorry if I dislike him, and the stupid decisions you make around him."

"I told you. Ali was taken-."

"Yeah, yeah, by witches. Who's to say it wasn't Klaus that sent them, hmm?" Alaric asked as he pulled the jeep off the road turning down a path surrounded by woods.

"You didn't meet with Esther." Tessa said aggressively. "Klaus wasn't even aware of my presence until the day I called you, Ric. It had nothing to do with him. It was all me."

"Yeah, whatever." Ric told her as he put the car in park, and cut the engine only to get out quickly. Tessa sighed as she slowly made the exit via the passenger side door. She heard Ric snapping at Damon yelling about keeping someone alive. She turned to see someone tied in chains around one of the bigger gravestones in the cemetery. Tessa tried moving in closer to get a look at whoever it was, but she had no luck.

She jumped when Ric's car groaned as air flew out of the tire given the fact that Damon threw a rock at it out of frustration. She smirked to herself when Damon said, "You should probably go change that tire."

Alaric's previous attitude was still gnawing at Tessa internally so when he walked by her towards his car she simply took a step back and moved closer to Damon offering no assistance. She chatted with Damon briefly asking about who was tied up, and why. The guy before her was apparently, Jo's twin who'd actually been sent to a prison world after murdering four of his siblings just out spite from his terrible upbringing, and resentment. Tessa paused as Damon's head snapped in Kai's direction suddenly.

"He's stopped talking." He muttered as he took a couple steps closer towards the cemetery. "He never stops talking…" He trailed off. Tessa noticed Ric step away from putting his flat tire in the trunk also looking over at Kai with interest now.

"What happened to his chains?" Damon hollered over the sudden gusts of wind.

"Is he chanting?" Alaric asked.

"Uh oh." Tessa muttered softly, she heard the guy's chanting intensify, and within minutes he stood up- no longer attached to the chain cuffs.

"You little magic sucker…" Damon began, "You sucked up all that magic from the traveler's spell." Wordlessly, Tessa watched the guy levitate Alaric before flinging him into the nearest tree.

"A lot of magic." She heard him mutter with a straight face before his eyes met her and Damon's. Damon moved quickly and pinned Kai back against the headstone, but within a blink of an eye. The Kai guy was gone.

"Damnit." Damon swore. "I really, really hate that move." He muttered. Tessa was by Ric's side quickly trying to help him up.

"You okay?" Damon asked as he jogged over. Alaric nodded waving him off as Damon and Tessa tried to help him up.

"How're you two not dead?" He wondered aloud as he glanced at the ground a few feet back. Tessa and Damon followed his gaze to a line drawn in the dirt, undoubtedly where the border of town began. Crap. Mystic Falls is no longer a magic free zone. Tessa thought darkly.

"What do we do about Ali?" Tessa asked immediately her head turned to look at Ric, her eyes filled with worry.

"Well, I suppose I keep her with me and Jo more now. Unless… you're staying." He tacked on the last two words in a hopeful voice, but she knew she had one last thing to attend to now back in New Orleans.

"I-I want to, but-."

"You can't." Alaric said simply. "You know, it would be nice for Ali to actually get the chance to spend some time with you before you run off again." He told her, his voice angry.

Tessa rolled her eyes at him, trying to hold back, but self-control wasn't her strong suit recently, "What is your problem? Jealous?" She asked. Damon had taken his leave quickly once the pair began to argue. Tessa was pretty sure she knew where he was headed given the last however many months he wasn't able to go home.

Ric scoffed, "No. I just think this whole situation is unfair to the person that matters the most. Ali."

"Once it's safe, I will be able to bring her-."

"You. Will. Not." Alaric cut her off fiercely. Tessa was surprised by the animosity in his glare at her.

"You cannot tell me what I can and can't do with my daughter."

"Our daughter!" Alaric yelled as his hands slammed against his car on each side of Tessa's head.

"Yes. Our daughter, Ric. I do not need you permission to take her to live with me." She replied, Tessa's voice was calm yet laced with an underlying threat. Had she been speaking to anyone else, they'd have probably backed down, but Ric knew her well. He simply paused, his eyes narrowing on Tessa's.

"Actually, you do." He challenged with an eyebrow quirked up. Tessa huffed as she pulled her phone out and checked the time.

"I have to go." Was all she said to him as she gave Ric a shove away from her. She hated having to leave her daughter without saying goodbye, but she couldn't be around Ric for another minute longer. "We'll talk about this some other time." She finished shaking her head as she walked off.

Tessa was moving at vampire speed through the woods, back in the direction of her recently rented apartment, quickly hopping in her Nissan she made the 5 hour drive down to Tennessee. Lucky for her, she was able to leave right around 4 o'clock. So she had a little time to spare. She waited around the metal docks over the river simply looking around for Klaus's presence. Tessa pulled her body length pea coat around her in the late December breeze brushing over the river, a black SUV pulled into the gravel parking lot some feet behind her, turning towards it she watched Klaus's dirty blonde head emerge from the driver's seat.

"Evening love." He greeted with that wily grin she'd grown so accustomed to in the weeks back as he walked down slowly over the downwards slope towards her at the beginning of the docks.

"Klaus." She said in way of greeting with a nod. She felt awkward standing before him, but it was obvious not much had changed for him. His eyes looked over her, slowly taking her form in. He made a rather obvious attempt to look her over. Of course it didn't. She never once threatened his life. Tessa thought begrudgingly. She slid her hand in the deep pocket at the front just under the belt tied around her waist before pulling out the white oak stake.

Klaus's eyes moved down immediately taking it in, "Thank you-." He began reaching out for it.

"Oh no, don't thank me just yet." Tessa told him yanking the stake back. Her eyes undoubtedly flashing at him. "I'm going with you. Back to New Orleans."

"Tessa. No." He told her his face changing over to a serious expression. "You can't-. Think of your daughter-."

"I am. Klaus." She hissed, her tone sharp as she slid the stake back in her pocket patting it gently. "In order to protect my daughter from being threatened again. I am going with you to take down your bitch of a mother." She finished her voice fierce. "Besides, either include me in the plan, or I leave here stake still in hand." She bartered.

Klaus looked as though he were going to put up more of a fight, but she watched the fight drain from his face as he relented. "Okay, fine. Fine, but do not hold me liable if you get maimed or injured." It was obvious he didn't have the time to sit here and argue with her.

"Unless it's by you, Klaus, then we won't have a problem." She quipped back to him as she brushed by him. She was holding him at arms length again, although after the way he acted towards her weeks ago felt she had no other option. She still cared for him, but it was different, especially without the love charm releasing her original reservations about him.

Tessa was quick to get into his SUV, and within minutes they started on the long trek back to New Orleans to look forwards to together.

* * *

 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	8. The Map of Moments

**I do not own Vampire Diaries, The Originals or any** **of its associated characters. Just Tessa and the ones you don't recognize, thank you.**

 **Okay All, thank you for the views. This Chapter takes place over Ep. 9 of The originals. I am unsure of the exact timing so it's hard for me to match it up with the flashes back to Mystic Falls, but I think those two episodes fit over well together. Thank you so much for checking back and being so patient. It is greatly appreciated.**

 **Thanks all and let me know what you think!**

 **BTW; I wanted to say that Tessa character is modeled after a woman, who is a very pretty model that goes by the name of Ebba Zingmark. Just in case anyone was curious. Thanks all, hope you enjoy!**

 **Thanks, guys!**

 **Chapter 8: Map of Moments**

* * *

The ride down to New Orleans was a long one filled more with blaring music, than actual talking. Nothing but, darkness surrounded the car along the highway they drove. She knew Klaus could sense her pulling away from him, every time his hand strayed just a tad too close for her, she would pull away. She heard him huff as he turned the radio down and glanced in her direction.

"Tessa." She turned to him from staring out her window as she'd done for the last 3 hours, "I'm sorry." He finished his voice seemingly echoing in the small confined space they were in. He'd never apologized before, Tessa was pretty sure his apologies weren't given out lightly; if ever.

"I know." She told him, calmly before turning back to the window. She wanted to throw her arms around him, and kiss him senseless, but her worries of starting anything with him were steadily increasing. What about the dangers to her daughter? Would she move her daughter down to New Orleans? Would she even stay in New Orleans? If so, what of her daughter? Would Klaus accept Ali as a part of Tessa? Not likely. She thought with a quick glance in his direction.

"So that's it then?" Klaus asked her an eyebrow quirked up at her brushing him off. Much like she had 2 years ago.

"What do you want me to say Klaus?" She snapped at him. "That I forgive you for threatening my life? That I forgive you for putting me in this position to begin with?"

"Oh, I put you in this position, did I?" He asked sharply. "You were involved with the witches long before I even knew of your whereabouts in New Orleans, love."

"No, putting me in the position that I have to once again fight my feelings for you." She told him, her voice soft. She heard the hesitation in his voice, she'd caught him off guard.

"Then don't." He began his eyes glancing in her direction from the road. "Don't fight them."

"Yeah, it's easier said than done. After all the damage you've caused." She told him pulling her hand back away from his that was wandering in closer to her. "I've tried to forget about it Klaus, but I can't. My sister, my father…" Their entire history was flashing through her mind.

"And, we're back to that…" He muttered.

"Yes! We're back to that, Klaus! You killed my family, and you just expect me to have no reservations about falling completely head over heels in love with you!" she cried out loudly in anger.

The car rang with silence after her admission. She felt the car slowing to a stop, and before she could stop him, Klaus's mouth was pressed to hers quickly. His hands running over any part of her he could from his position in the driver's seat.

The pair pulled back slowly, breathing hard as they stared at each other. "I'll wait, love. As long as you need me to, but just know that you are not the only one falling here." He told her his soft voice sending a shiver through her. Then just like that he put the SUV in drive, and continued the trip down to New Orleans as though nothing happened.

They arrived in New Orleans in the late night or early morning depending on how you looked at it, it was about 2 am when they were able to meet up with the all too familiar faces that plagued Tessa's mind in the weeks she was gone for.

She recognized the blonde- Cami from the night she'd gotten kidnapped by Mikael, Marcel, She was surprised to see Davina and Kol there. "You've seemed to confuse the white oak stake for a pretty redhead, brother." Came Kol's voice as everyone glanced up to see Klaus and her enter the compound.

"No, he hasn't." Tessa said calmly reaching in her pocket to pull out the stake. Kol moved in closer his eyes on it, Tess pulled it away quickly.

"What makes you so sure your mother won't use it against them after she body jumps them?" Tessa asked. She watched Kol pause before her, his eyes brows knitting downwards together.

"That-that's a fair point, lass. I suppose we don't." He said with a glance to Klaus.

"An awful lot of vampires hang in the balance here, myself included, so forgive me if I'm still apprehensive about this plan."

"Well, technically. You don't. It will just be my sire line at stake, no pun intended." Came a new voice from further back. Tessa's eyes moved beyond the bunch and found Rebekah standing there. She hadn't seen Rebekah in what seemed to be forever. When she'd moved out of the Mikaelson Mansion.

She remembered that there was a certain amount of disdain for her whenever they were together. Tessa was trying to get a read for her as Rebekah moved in closer. "Hello Tessa. Lovely to see you again."

"I wish the circumstances were better, but yes. Good to see you too."

"While I appreciate you're concern for my well being. I want it noted that I am aware of the potential danger here, so if you please," She said sticking her hand out palm up. "The stake."

Tessa sighed as she handed off the weapon to her, who then turned and handed it to Kol. "Go meet with Mother. I'll be along shortly." Kol nodded with a glance from Rebekah to Tessa before taking off quickly. Rebekah turned back and walked deeper into the house. It was clear she was reflecting on her life, and the big decision she was making. Klaus had filled Tessa in on the current situation between awkward silences in the drive here.

Tessa had taken this time to wander back around the house, she found herself back in Klaus's room- memories from previous nights hit her as she looked around. "You always seem to find yourself here don't you?" Her back stiffened at Klaus's voice in her ear.

"Seems so." She replied taking a step forwards putting more distance between them. She remained quiet her eyes moving around the room, anywhere but at him.

"What're you thinking?" Klaus asked her. Finally her eyes found his, and he was staring right at her. Trying to read the expression on her face.

"I was remembering the last time I was in here. How things seemed so much easier then. I held no doubts, or worries, no reservation about us. All I knew then was, you made me happy."

"And, how has that changed?" He asked taking a step closer, she felt his arm encircle her waist, pulling her against him. Tessa sighed.

"My intentions are still the same as they have always been, Tessa." She watched Klaus's head dip low as his mouth moved in closer to her own. Part of her screamed for her to kiss him, another part of though told her she needed to be rid of him entirely. She had a daughter she should be with back home. Now in more danger than ever. Yet she was here. Helping him. She just needed to be rid of Esther. She had to take it one task at a time.

"You mean aside from the fact that you threatened my life? And, this is not the first time my life was viewed as meaningless in your eyes." She said him softly before pulling away. He paused a dazed look over his face, before she heard him sigh heavily. "I don't understand it Klaus You jump from one extreme to the other- just expecting people to follow you. How can you say you care for someone and then just threaten their very existence? It wouldn't have just been me affected had you actually decided to kill me. I have a daughter now, Klaus. A daughter who- believe it or not is dependent on the fact that I come home to her."

"Oh, come on. I wouldn't have-." He began but Tessa cut him off

"I wouldn't know, Klaus! You're completely and utterly unpredictable in your paranoia. You're so caught up in your enemies, and your power grabs to grabs to realize that people might genuinely care for you! You're too terrified to truly let anyone in!" Tessa yelled, her anger clear.

"Oh, that's rich coming from you of all people-."

Tessa pushed him sharply as she moved quickly standing centimeters from him, "I have every reason to be. You don't. I never once acted out an attempt to murder you or your family." She told him her voice serious. "My family has, yes, but I never did. Not once." Tessa finished as she moved away at the sound of approaching footsteps.

Klaus opened his mouth to respond, but Rebekah appeared at the doorway interrupting him. "It-It's time, Nik. We need to go." She said before moving swiftly out.

"We'll continue this later then." He told Tessa quickly before marching out of the room. Tessa sighed sitting down on the bed. Memories kept hitting her, the way Klaus's hands felt gliding over her skin, the weight of him pinning her underneath him. How her lips were left tingling after each kiss. Tessa huffed before getting up and making her way out. She needed air to clear her head.

"Tessa? Right?" Came a familiar voice. She turned to see Cami standing behind her. Tessa nodded not saying anything else. "Not much of a talker then?" Cami continued. Tessa wanted to tell her to get lost but she knew what awaited Cami- she also knew first hand how it felt to be manipulated by a member of the Mikaelson family both by Klaus and Esther.

"No, just-. Just dealing with some Klaus issues. He has a tendency of leaving a trail of women behind with confusing and frustrating emotions is all." Tessa explained in a tired voice.

"Yeah, that I am familiar with." Cami chuckled out.

"Oh yeah? Tessa asked. "How familiar?" A brief moment passed where it seemed as though they were trying to size one another up. It passed briefly while Cami continued on talking.

"Uhm, just from a person he's manipulated one time too many. I'm aware that compulsion is a bitch." She chuckled out again. Tessa's eyes moved over the courtyard below, she saw Davina and Marcel standing by the nearby table complete and set up with a spell. A circle of salt lined around an hourglass. Tessa wasn't sure of the specifics, but she didn't have complete faith in the people around her, she knew from experience that Klaus's side wasn't always one hundred percent prepared, and on the off hand Esther survived the night she'd want a fail-safe to fall back on.

"So as far as I can tell the only actual plan put in place is just to prevent Esther and-or Rebekah from body jumping, is that right?" Tessa muttered aloud her eyes roaming over the table down below.

"We-well, they also have a plan to murder Esther as she does the spell. This way she's dead for good." Cami continued in an attempt to defend the bunch. Tessa glanced around quickly she knew she could do nothing from this end, and no matter how many times Klaus tried to reason with her to remain here she knew her staying put was useless, and without her having the upper hand with her banshee powers she wasn't going to get the familiar flashes of Esther's death. The uncertainty of it all was eating at her. "Yeah, hopefully." She muttered.

"What-?" Cami asked not hearing Tessa's muttering.

"I-I have to go." Tessa muttered before she took off at vampire speed out of the compound. She heard the confused questions from those around her as she raced by but, didn't entertain them with any answers. Soon enough Tessa stood outside the Lafayette Cemetery, she made a move forwards entering the danger zone.

The whole way here Tessa was thinking it over in her head, of how her mother had always taught her to have a plan A, plan B, and a fail-safe. They wanted to be able to kill Esther, but if they failed they'd need a way to neutralize her, without her power she was nothing. Nothing more than an annoyance.

"Mother!" She heard Klaus's voice loud and clear, it snapped her from her thoughts. "Stop the spell. You and your traitorous son." Tessa inwardly cursed, she had a feeling about it from the very beginning when she first met with Esther that this is what would happen. She rushed inside quickly hoping to locate them before things turned worse.

She heard Kol defending himself claiming to have no knowledge of Esther's plan to kill their bodies, and then Esther chimed in sarcastically commenting on her son's comradery. Tessa stood just behind the mausoleum, simply listening to the people before her, she was surprised by Nik's self-sacrificing attitude- but, she supposed it was purely for Rebekah. "Unfortunately, you left me no choice but to make a deal with Mikael."

Tessa sighed out, more annoyed now knowing Mikael was still on the hunt for those that had stood up to him. She mentally added him to the growing lists of threats to her, and her child. "When Finn, and Kol went missing. I needed a new ally. All he wanted was the right to kill you." Esther finished. Tessa could hear the change in her voice, it was obvious she no longer cared about her son's salvation- she wanted him to suffer. Tessa wondered what had changed in her time away.

Tessa heard Klaus's sigh of trepidation, it was obvious he wasn't enthused about the idea of facing his step-father again anytime soon.

"Kol. I would ask you to deliver the stake to your father, but it seems your loyalties have been compromised." Esther continued on.

"Stop the spell, Esther." She heard Klaus's voice shake ever so slightly. She was certain the anger he felt within was visible on the outside.

"Oh, so you're feeling murderous again. You should know, I've already chosen another body."

Tessa had enough of hearing her talk, she stepped out from behind the mausoleum she hid behind and stared across the four people around her. "Tessa…" Klaus's voice carried over towards her, his voice held surprise at her appearance. Which by now he should've known she wouldn't listen.

"Ah, I knew you wouldn't be away for long my dear." Esther said a glance over her shoulder with a slight smirk. Tessa felt an all too familiar power radiating off of her. Tessa didn't say anything to Esther in way of greeting. She just stared feeling a pull towards her suddenly. Klaus took a step forwards moving in closer to the two women simply staring at each other. Tessa felt her body itching to get in closer, but she held her ground- with the looming threat over both, Rebekah and Klaus Tessa wanted one thing right now, and one thing only. Within a blink of an eye Tessa made a move to grab the white oak stake, but Esther was faster, Tess watched Esther hold her hand out, and she was tossed like a ragdoll into Klaus. The pair was thrown back against the solid concrete of the buildings around them. Tessa groaned as she rolled off of him. Her healing time was slower than she was used to.

Klaus pulled her up as he stood with a hard glare in Esther's direction. Tessa moved to scream, but with just a flick of her wrist Tessa was pulled forwards- towards Esther, losing her footing, Tessa slipped to the ground again. She cursed loudly. She felt as though she were a human again. Her senses were dulled, and her power cut off from her entirely.

"What did you do to me?" Tessa asked softly, those surrounding them seemed to become more confused having no idea what Tessa was referring too. Klaus had known that his mother had been in her head due to her blacking out on and off for two days he wasn't aware of the depth that his mother had gone to within her mind. "I-I can feel it on you. My power-. I-it's rolling off of you in waves." Tessa said as she slowly moved to her feet.

"I simply borrowed your powers so to speak." Esther explained calmly, glancing from one figure to the next. Stopping on Rebekah- who's life was currently hanging in the balance now.

"You what…?" Klaus's voice sounded from Tessa's other side.

"You didn't honestly think I would take precautions this time, did you Niklaus? You've killed me one time too many for me not to be one step ahead of you." Esther said rounding on her son.

Klaus simply smirked at her in response. "One step ahead, are you?" He chuckled out. Tessa felt her body urging her to move in closer, to Esther, but she held her ground unsure of how to get her powers back.

"Your connection you have with the spirits around you is a powerful one. It's a shame you're poorly trained in how to use it, my dear." Esther continued in her smug voice. Esther was getting just what she wanted, and it drove Tessa mad with anger. She already prepped another witches body for herself on the off hand she dies tonight, and if their spell doesn't work Esther would live to manipulate and kill another day, Rebekah will then take Cami's body. Klaus was already on his sociopathic step-father's hit list- all Mikael needed was to get his hands on the white oak sake, and Tessa was feeling more vulnerable than usual without her banshee powers to help her.

Tessa's hand shot out suddenly catching Esther around her throat. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't…" She trailed off through gritted teeth. Tessa had had enough of her. She threatened her child, she threatened Tessa herself. She drove a wedge between her and Klaus after solidifying their feelings for one another. All of the turmoil, and rage Tessa had been burying the last weeks she spent drinking away her feelings were coming to surface. Esther gasped fighting to take in breaths.

"Tessa, love." Klaus's voice seemed to calm her murderous impulses almost immediately. "Allow me." He said in a velvety voice before she watched Esther's eyes widen in surprise as Klaus reached around Tessa and stabbed Esther in the chest with an all to familiar knife. Tessa watched as Esther's body twitched at the intrusive object before Klaus yanked it out and she smirked slightly thinking she was a step ahead of the game as she fell to the concrete below. A rush of wind blew through the cemetery around the four people. Tessa heard the whispers and knew it was to do with her banshee powers. She felt in the last weeks as though there were a void within her, and it were sucking the life out of her. Whatever energy she'd had was pulled from her body forcefully leaving her to feel low. At the moment of Esther's death, the hour glass shattered, and Klaus had to race over and catch a convulsing Rebekah. Tessa however, felt a tingle go up her spine, and a warmth spread over her as she felt her lungs expanding to full volume. A weight lifted from her, as her power returned. The void she felt within vanished, and her power surged within her. Tessa was surprised to find herself surrounded by more corporeal women with flowing white hair and gaunt faces- soon enough they began keening into the night. Their mouths open wide and twisted as inhuman noises sounded from them one by one. Without a fight Tessa screamed the sound was almost a screeching sound. Tessa swore she heard dogs howling in the distance at her scream. Her throat felt raw once she stopped, blinking she glanced around noting Klaus staring at her- his eyes wide. She noticed one of his ears bleeding out. Rebekah was still knocked out, and Kol was lying, his body still on top of the concrete.

She muttered out a sorry looking around feeling sheepish at her abilities. She loved the protection they offered her, but the price she paid was how her screaming effected even those that she loved. Her and Klaus made quick work with waking, and healing Kol. Klaus then carried Rebekah's unconscious back to his SUV placing her body along the backseat gently.

He ran back to move Esther's now dead body out from prying eyes, and returned to the driver's seat. Tessa sat next to him while Kol took his own car. Klaus's hand rested on the shifter as he drove. Tessa's mind ran through the events that had taken place. She was scared for him, when she'd made the decision to reach for the white oak stake. She was worried for his safety. She wasn't sure what that meant to her exactly, but it was obvious to her that she still cared. She felt Klaus jump slightly as her hand slid over his. She didn't bother to look, she could feel his gaze on her as he drove, and before she knew it his fingers interlocked with hers.

Klaus carried Rebekah into the compound before depositing her on the couch across from an equally knocked out Cami. Everyone waited on baited breath until Cami awoke. They'd have to wait until the person Kol had chosen to prep for her was awake to hear from Rebekah. Tessa sighed with some relief to see that Cami was spared an awful fate, at least until Marcel came down from the second landing saying that Finn had been broke out. Cami's safety was once again hanging in the balance given she was used to bring him in.

"Esther is using Mikael to do her dirty work now." Klaus muttered angrily before he made a move to exit.

"Please tell me that your mother's dead." Marcel called after him. Klaus paused as he turned to face the group. It was mystery even to Tessa as to where he put Esther.

"Rebekah and I took extra precautions. Esther is exactly where she needs to be." He said simply before leaving. Tessa sighed as everyone said their goodbyes. Kol, and Davina left together shortly followed by Cami, and Marcel. Tessa was left alone in the compound now wondering just were Elijah and Hayley were.

* * *

 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	9. Gonna set your flag on Fire

**I do not own Vampire Diaries, The Originals or any** **of its associated characters. Just Tessa and the ones you don't recognize, thank you.**

 **Okay All, thank you for the views. Sorry, the last one was so short! I hope this one makes up for it! Thank you so much for checking back and being so patient. It is greatly appreciated.**

 **Thanks all and let me know what you think!**

 **BTW; I wanted to say that Tessa character is modeled after a woman, who is a very pretty model that goes by the name of Ebba Zingmark. Just in case anyone was curious. Thanks all, hope you enjoy!**

 **Thanks, guys!**

 **Chapter 9: Gonna set your flag on Fire**

* * *

Tessa groaned softly as she fought the urge to close her eyes again, she was lying a top the covers across Klaus's king sized bed. She noted that she was still alone. She moved quickly out into the hall, the compound seemed virtually empty of Mikaelson's. She was surprised by the extravagant breakfast laid out in the courtyard. She idly wondered what the occasion was, but walked down to browse the selection of food set before her. She was quick to find the not-so subtle note from Klaus explaining that he'd return shortly, and the wine glass of blood left out for her at the end of the table she chuckled with an eye roll before taking the opportunity she pulled her cellphone out and dialed Alaric's all-too-familiar number.

After a few rings, she heard his voice. "Good morning, Tessa." He seemed unusually happy given their last conversation.

"Uhm. Hi. Alaric." She said taken by surprise. "You're in a weirdly good mood. Especially given the last time we chatted." She stated, as she leaned over and grabbed a beignet from one of the many platters laid out before her.

"Yeah, well. What can I say? My girlfriend is alive, and doing better than ever with her magic back. Ali and, I are able to go home."

"Home?" Tessa asked confused.

"Yeah…" Alaric trailed off slowly, "In my house. In Mystic Falls."

"Uhm, what?" Tessa asked not believing he was referring to her house. "No, no, no. You had a loft. I had a house."

"C'mon Tessa. It was put in my name, and my loft is not big enough for the three of us-" Alaric said. She heard the sound of plates clattering together nosily. "Oh, honey. Don't do that. Ali! No!"

Tessa heard Ali's slight cry of anger, and Alaric's heavy breathing. "One downside to no anti-magic barrier. Ali's had more magical outbursts."

"What do you mean?" Tessa asked.

"Well, she wants breakfast now. Apparently, and just tried to levitate her plate onto her high chair."

"Oh." Tessa said setting her breakfast down. She really wished she could be home, but she couldn't help Ali control her powers even if she wanted to. She never experienced them the way her mother and sister had. Tessa always relied more on the physical training, and her mother chose to raise them like witches rather than the fairies they were. "Did you find anything that would help in your research?" Tessa asked hopeful.

"No, unfortunately, the only thing I'm getting on fairy research is that they are little people with wings- or humans living on an alternate plane from us. I-I'll keep looking though." He added in a hopeful voice. Tessa noted how defeated he'd sounded when telling her all he could find. "I have a few more places for research before I can say I've exhausted all my sources." He finished.

"Okay, I'll do what I can to find out anything from this end. I mean there's a ton of Supernaturals in New Orleans- someone has to know something." After a quick talk to Ali, and hearing her half-toddler babble she hung up and finished her pastry before moving quickly out of the compound and back towards her rented cottage- she'd up kept the rent on it in her time away- knowing that she'd be back in the city soon enough to take out the threat to her child. She needed a shower before facing the day- the scent of sweat and blood on her from the night before made her want to throw her clothes away.

After a quick shower she quickly changed into her basic skinny jeans- it fit like second layer of skin, and her white long sleeved peplum top. Slipping on her knee high sturdy boots she moved towards her dresser, her hands hesitated over her jewelry- she'd had an aversion of necklaces after the love charmed- lightening bolt, but she was surprised to find a box lying on her vanity- wrapped up in familiar black paper, and an elegant white bow tied around it. She opened it to find a dainty chain with a silver pendant- a pale peach-lavender colored gemstone cut into an oval shape was decoratively wrapped in silver wire. The light reflecting off of it showed just how exquisite the colors were. Tessa hesitated, but reminded herself of the last gift she received from Klaus was a harmless dress- he had no intentions of harming her. If he had he'd have done so long before now. With that she slid it on, and headed out.

As she entered the compound she was taken aback by the amount of people in the courtyard. Werewolves took up one side while, vampires remained on the other. Tessa looked up see Hayley, and some guy she'd never met before chatting on the landing. She sent a confused expression upwards, but moved on through the crowd headed up the stairs looking for one person in particular.

Tessa followed the sound of voice down the long halls, before finding him with Kol. "Ah, Tessa." He greeted as Klaus turned taking in her appearance. She was still growing accustom to not having to alert him to her presence- it were as if he always knew where she was.

"Whoa. You've got yourself a guardian angel there, love?" Kol asked as his eyes moved towards her neck.

"Wha-?" She began as Kol moved forwards bottle of alcohol in his hand.

"That there gemstone is labradorite. It's for protection as well as a raising one's awareness in your own psychic abilities. It's a rare gem to come by- especially one of that color. It's very powerful though. Where'd you get it?" Kol asked. As Kol trailed off further on the gemstone Tessa wore around her neck she locked eyes on Klaus a slight smirk growing over her lips as she put two and two together from the night prior. She knew he'd been worried when his mother flat out admitted to taking her powers- she saw it all over his face. The stone he'd given her would help protect her from harm- as well as awaken her own inner power.

Tessa opened her mouth to answer Kol's question with a witty retort, but the glass bottle shattering in his hand suddenly grabbed everyone's attention. A person stomping in towards the room caused Tessa and Kol to back away further into the room, toward Klaus.

Finn, Esther's more loyal son soon filled the doorway, "Where is she?" He asked barely containing his anger.

"Finn." Klaus greeted. "Please, join us. My, my, you look peaky; doesn't he look peaky?" Klaus asked with faux concern.

"He does look a bit peaky." Kol agreed.

"You feeling alright?" Klaus continued to taunt. Tessa felt the power coming off of Finn, it was radiating through the room, making it hard for her to breath. It was suffocating.

"Don't make me ask again." He threatened lowly his eyes moving between the three of them. Tessa noted that he had a scar as if he was bitten along the side of his neck- he looked a little worse for wear, which confused her further about the intense power she felt around him.

"I assume you're referring to our mother. Fear not, she's tucked away somewhere perfectly safe. You'll never find her."

"You think you've won?" Finn asked suddenly his eyes moving between both Klaus and Kol. He stood taller, straighter, with purpose. "Let's see how long that arrogance lasts, brother." He asked before taking his leave. The aftershock of nervousness echoed in the room.

"He's up to something." Tessa blurted out. "I can feel it." She said turning to Klaus, her hand caught his arm as he made a move to follow Finn. "Be careful. I don't know what happened to him, but he is radiating a power that I've never sensed in a witch before." She warned. Klaus looked down at her questioningly.

"Seems that labradorite gem is working at it's peak, as it should. Especially when you mined it yourself from Canada back in the 1800's and hadn't used it since then, huh, Nik?" Kol asked putting Klaus on the spot with a slap on the back before he made his exit. So he had mined the gem himself in decades past. It meant the necklace held some sentimental value to Klaus as well, the realization of his feelings towards her hit her at once. She knew he didn't give away his possessions lightly. She was torn between racing over to him, and kissing him, and returning the necklace to him. She knew she needed it for the duration of her being in New Orleans. Klaus had too many enemies for her to be left unprotected- especially given all the danger she constantly puts herself in.

Tessa eyed Klaus's figure before her, his tight fitting navy shirt called for her to run her hands over his torso, his extravagant belt buckle was a neon flashing light for her to break it and tear his jeans down his legs, but she settled for a small all knowing smirk before following his brother out back towards the courtyard. She'd wanted to talk to Klaus about where they stood, and if she'd stay, but Finn's appearance was more than just a courtesy visit for a truce.

On their way down to the courtyard, the whole building, down to the foundations began to rumbled, and shake. Klaus's arms wound around Tessa's middle as she nearly slipped down the stairs she was on. He held her close.

"What the hell was that?" She breathed out once the building settled again. Her grip on his arms tight

"I'm not sure, but I have a feeling Finn wasn't just here for the witty banter." Klaus said as they continued quickly down the stairs and, out to a courtyard of panicked, vampires and werewolves.

A scream from a vampire over by the entrance of the house was heard, she yanked her hand back angrily. She'd gone after Finn who stood in the doorway with a smug expression across his face. "But, I imagine given a little time confined together, you'll come to see things the way I do." With that Finn walked out slowly, leaving behind a mass of on edge monsters in his wake.

The next ten minutes was a flurry of activity, Werewolves, and Vampires became edgy and irritated with one another instantly. It were as if every person in the compound were a caged animal. They were jumpy and irritable, some of them literally began pacing the length of the room. Tessa felt it best to get away from the bigger crowds. She didn't want to get caught in fight that wasn't hers. According to Klaus, Hayley and, Marcel were trying to form a truce of some sort between the vampires and the wolves in hopes they would come together to face the impending threat of the witches together. Even Tessa knew Hayley was setting the bar under her r over the wolves, but it seemed as though she'd need a miracle to get them to work with one another.

Tessa thought to use the time they had now to talk to Klaus about whatever it was they were at this point. The feelings they harbored for one another were clear. Klaus had already made it clear he'd wait for her to feel comfortable with him again, and maybe she already was. It just took her longer to realize that. She'd begun second guessing any and all emotions she held for him since the love charm- granted, Esther had admitted that the charm only bolstered what was already there however, Esther was a master manipulator.

She found Klaus standing in one of the many study's in the compound. He was looking out over the city from the balcony. She watched him hold his hand towards the window, the invisible barrier Finn put around the house intact, and burning his hand. It was clear he was just as itchy to get out of the compound as the rest of them, but he held his frantic emotions back much better than those downstairs.

"Hey," She greeted from the doorway. Klaus turned and took her appearance in. "So, seems like we've got time to chat what with every one being stuck in here." She finished.

"Seems so." He muttered. An awkwardness seeped in that wasn't there before. It was like a band aid Tessa told herself, she just needed to rip it off.

"Klaus-." She began but, paused once he moved in closer. His face was set in an emotionless mask. She fiddled with the charm nervously- she'd never been one to talk about her feelings with ease. She was in uncharted territory and it scared her. "I do love you." She said suddenly, "But, I just-. All the things you've done. All the tings I've done…" She trailed off.

"Leave them where they belong, love." He said coming in and held her fidgeting fingers gently moving them from the necklace so he held them in his. "We've both made mistakes, but that doesn't change anything to me." He told her seriously.

"How can it not?" She asked him. "You've gone from hot to cold so much that I can't even tell where you stand anymore."

"I've told you how I felt-."

"Yes, Klaus. For now." A pause passed between them, and Klaus was left speechless for once. It was clear to her he was mulling something over in his head.

"I love you, Klaus. I have for a long while, unfortunately it took a love charm, and your near death for me to realize it, but I have. It doesn't change the fact that I'm afraid of you." She told him. Klaus pulled away turning back towards the balcony.

"I see." Was all he said. She'd hurt him. Again. For a man so strong, his ego seemed so fragile.

"Klaus, that's not what I-."

"No need to explain. In the past that was all I wanted. I needed people to quake with fear at the very sound of my name. I suppose I didn't stop to think about the adverse effects it would have. I did rule over you at one time, love. It's understandable. Perhaps it's too late for me to redeem myself…" He trailed off.

Tessa had had enough of hearing him drone on. Moving quickly she spun him around and pressed her mouth to his, her hands gripped his cotton shirt tightly in her palms. She felt his hands slipping around to her lower back before moving downwards around to settle on her hips. Tessa groaned as the kiss was deepened as she moved up on the tips of her toes, pressing her body into his.

She pulled back from him slowly, "I'm not afraid of what you might do. I'm afraid of what you make me want to do. If I allow myself to love you, I won't want to leave when the time comes."

"You won't have to. Stay here, Tessa. Stay with me."

"Klaus, I-. I have a life I need to get back to. I have a daughter, and-and then there's Alaric. I-I can't just take her from him, Klaus."

He paused, thinking things over in his head, a person moving in the doorway caught there attention, it was Kol. In a frenzy. "Did Finn really just trap us in here?" He moved into the room quickly, his eyes wide.

"He certainly did." Klaus said turning away from her to face Kol. "Which means we have a witch problem. You're a witch. Fix it." Klaus told him smugly before moving by him. Tessa made a move to follow.

"And, what the bloody hell do you want me to do about it?" Kol asked turning to face Klaus.

"Well, considering the crowd I'd think you'd feel more motivated to find a solution." Klaus began half turning to keep Kol in sight, "After all, I can easily outwait our brother's antics. You, on the other hand might find yourself looking rather appetizing to some of our other prisoners."

"I'm gonna need some help." Kol said after a pause with an eyebrow quirked up, Tessa watched as his eyes moved to her.

"No." Klaus said adamantly his hand moving to grasp her forearm. "She's had enough of the witches in this family tramping through her head. Call Davina. She'll help you." With that Klaus pulled her along with him as Kol called after them.

"Yeah, well Davina's not stuck here in the bloody compound now, is she?"

Klaus and, her had moved out to the courtyard talking amongst the crowd- that was now drinking which didn't seem like a genius idea to Tessa. She could tell Klaus was less than enthused to be sharing his finest quality whiskey and bourbon with the number of people that was here however it was clear by Marcel and Hayley that it wasn't a optional thing. In her talks among the people she was finding them to be in decent spirits- although she was unsure if it was them as people or just the alcohol doing it's job.

"So what're you?" Came a rough voice interrupting her thoughts. "I mean-if-if you don't mind my askin'…" Tessa looked up to find the guy that had been standing with Hayley along the upper landing when she'd first walked in. She came to find his name to be Jackson.

"You just don't seem like a vampire- no ring," He added as he nodded to her hands around her own glass of whiskey, "but I do know you're not a wolf. I can sense that much." He continued as he took a swig of alcohol.

"Right. I-I'm a vampire, but I'm also a banshee…" Tessa told him.

"A what?" He asked, his face deadpanned.

"Yeah." Tessa chuckled looking around the room uncomfortably. She'd figured that was the reaction she'd get. Being a banshee didn't exactly scream badass until people saw her in action. "I get that a lot." She finished as her eyes found Klaus standing with Hayley up on the landing now over looking the crowd. She could see him whispering something or other to her. Within moments Kol came down through the courtyard to meet with Davina at the entrance. The crowd of vampires, and wolves watched as they made quick work of figuring out what spelled was needed to free the group and began chanting it only took a few seconds before they cried out pulling apart.

"What just happened?" Davina asked softly as Tessa moved away from Jackson closer towards the front gate.

"I assume that means we're all free to go?" Klaus's voice rang out as he emerged from the crowd standing alongside Tessa.

"No. The spells locking us out." Kol said as he glanced up along the wall of the compound.

"Finn must be channeling something." Davina responded. It clicked suddenly in Tessa's head, all the power she felt this morning. All the rage. There was so much of it that it was stifling to her. "A dark object, maybe." She ventured a guess. Tessa had a feeling that it was much worse than that, but kept her comments to herself until she figured it out for sure. That's when Klaus's phone rang, he took the call walking off quietly leaving the pair to figure out how o break the spell Finn had everyone under. Tessa took another swig from her bottle. She just wanted out now. She'd pretty much told Klaus that as though she cared for her him. She couldn't stay. She had responsibilities she needed to get back to once the threats here were dealt with. A daughter to raise. She wasn't sure if he was upset by it, but it certainly seemed that way at his lack of attention to spare for her all of a sudden.

The crowd of wolves and vampires seemed to get more and more agitated the longer they sat around each other- that's when Tessa watched disaster strike. She watched as the vampires around reacted as though the scent of blood were in the air. Tessa felt a sting of hunger pangs within her but pushed it down quickly. Some of the vampires around her weren't as old as she was- and, she could see a fight amongst the two factions about to break out.

One of the vampires was staring at the tall, looking black man- One of the wolves that'd been an asshole for the better part of the day that they'd been stuck in here. She watched as her eyes flashed darkly and the veins around her eyes became more prominent. Tessa raced forwards and threw her back in an attempt to stop the fight before it broke out. The female vamp rebounded hissing at Tessa on her feet again.

"Don't do this." Tessa told her lowly. She watched as other vampires glanced around at each other- a majority of them dispersing throughout the room in a vain attempt to prevent temptation. She watched some of the older one's pairing up with the newer ones in an attempt to help control their hunger. She didn't know why but, suddenly all of the surrounding vampires grew hungrier by the minute. Tessa even felt her own body working against her- it was as though she didn't feed just this morning. She didn't want a physical fight on her hands, but she didn't want to scream and possibly endanger or kill nearly all the people held captive in the compound.

"But, I'm so hungry." The vampire before her reasoned and in a flash she jumped at Tessa knocking her backwards shattering the glass bottles that were left out across the table. Tessa hissed as her arms was sliced open. The cut healed instantly, but the scent of her fae blood drove the rest of the vampires insane with hunger. It were as though the entire room froze, and the chaos broke out. Tessa watched as two vampires made their way closer. She cursed inwardly looking around for Klaus, or Hayley or even Marcel, but they were no where to be found.

Tessa kicked out at the knee of the nearest blond vampire. He went down only to find Tessa atop him- quickly breaking his neck, she knocked him out. Another male with darker hair moved in. His arms encircled around Tessa pinning hers to her sides lifting her off the ground as she fought kicking out randomly in a vain attempt to fight him off.

Tessa gasped as she felt his teeth sink into her flesh, she screamed now at the top of her lungs. She watched those around her flinch covering their ears while the vampire who's fangs had been sunk into her neck released her, blacking out entirely. She turned to see his ears bleeding out. She gasped when the female vampires hand clamped around her arm and anther one took up residence on her other side. The wolves seemed to be struggling with their own fight as more vampires fell victim to whatever ravenous hunger befell them. Among the chaos she heard the sounds of struggles ending, and watched Klaus making his way through the crowd. Her scream must've alerted him from whatever other part of the house he'd been in. He was snapping necks left and right as he made his way closer to her, his face set in a hard look. Tessa redoubled her fighting getting one of her arms free and punching the female directly into the path of Klaus. He made quick work of her while Tessa fought off the male that was still snapping at her. She cried out in pain when she felt another come up behind her and bite into her shoulder. Before she knew it the two males she was fighting off were lying in a heap at her feet. Klaus scooped Tessa up once he took her in. He saw the blood on her neck, and shoulder. He saw the remnants of blood on her arm from being cut by the shattered bottles- she was pretty sure she reeked of potent alcohol. She watched his pupils dilate as he, himself fought to remain in check from what her blood was doing to him.

Tessa watched anger take over him as he glanced around the room at the others, "So much for all that talk of peace." He asked sarcastically. Tessa saw that he didn't have a scratch on him. "C'mon love, let's get you out of the open." With that she was carried off into a different room.

Klaus sat her down gently as his eyes took in her in. The concern written on his face was clear, but underlying she could see the beast in him just itching to come out. Her blood did things to vampires- she wasn't sure if it was simply the pure biology of the fae blood, but vampires already had a hard time controlling themselves around it, forget about having a witchy-woo spell intensify their hunger. He turned facing off with a worse for the wear Marcel and 2 others.

"Your vampires seem to think it's lunch time." He said, his hair disheveled and, anger written all over him. He paused taking in the looks of the three vampires in the room, "What is it?"

"They're not the only ones who're hungry." Marcel stated hunched over gripping his side. "It's all of us."

"Yeah," Scoffed the man in the navy button up further into the room, "Like super-sized hungry. And- and-." He trailed off turning as his eyes fell on Tessa. Tessa tensed expecting a fight, Klaus however had other ideas. He stepped between them blocking her from view.

"Joshua, you keep looking at her like dessert and, I swear you will find yourself writhing in complete and utter agony wishing for the sweet release of death. Understood?" The guy stopped before making his way out of the room shortly followed by the female in the room. Kol came rushing in as they left immediately going in about a plan, he was going to cast a spell with Davina that will temporarily neutralize all magical objects. "We'd have 60 seconds to escape whilst the boundary is shut down." He finished glancing between the two.

"Alright, let's do this." Marcel said, clearly eager to get he and his vampires out.

"One problem, the spell will neutralize every magical object- including the compound, and without the magic in your rings-."

"We're dead." Marcel agrees running a hand over his head stressfully, as he turned and glanced out the glass doors.

"Unless you wait 'til nightfall…" Klaus suggested.

"They're all so new. They won't be able to fight the hunger." He was glancing around at the crowd of agitated vampires gathered in the courtyard.

"With they way they've already reacted, I doubt they'll make it long enough for me to walk out there to leave." Tessa muttered now wiping away the blood with the towel Klaus gave her. "You're not gonna be able to wait until nightfall, you'll have a blood bath on your hands before you even get close." She finished. The guys looked around at each other warily. Tessa simply said what they were all thinking aloud, and it hung in the air over them like a looming threat.

"I'll get to work on that spell. Davina's here." Kol said moving out into the dangerous crowd of agitated vampires and werewolves. Tessa sighed closing her eyes, and running her hand through her hair. What the hell could Finn be channeling that gave him this kind of power. Tessa asked herself.

"You alright, love?" Tessa opened her eyes to find Klaus crouched down before her. She nodded tiredly, fighting off the vampires she did and using her psychic abilities left her tired.

"We need to deal with Finn." She told him.

"I'll deal with Finn." Klaus interrupted her. She could see it in his eyes, he was angered by his brother- if Finn had been in here earlier looking for a truce of some sort he wouldn't get one now.

"At least we don't have to worry about your mother any longer…" Tessa said simply relieved that the master manipulator was murdered. "You know he won't be happy when he finds out she's dead."

"Yes-uhm. About that…" Klaus trailed off as he stood.

What was he talking about? Tessa asked herself as she stared up at him sharply from wiping off her neck. "What does that mean?"

"My mother is exactly where she deserves to be. It's fate worse than death."

"What exactly, is 'worse than death'?" Tessa quoted at him.

"You said yourself, what's to prevent her from killing off our original bodies when she body jumped Rebekah? Well, Rebekah slipped some vampire blood into her wine earlier that night. If she had made the attempt to murder Rebekah- she'd have killed herself."

"No, now she's just a vampire." Tessa muttered tossing the towel down on the table before her angrily. "Klaus-. How could-? She came after my daughter!" Tessa was fuming that she not only hadn't crossed Esther off her threat list, but now added Mikael, and Finn's names on there.

"She came for mine as well, Tessa!" Klaus shouted at her. Tessa paused taken aback at his words.

A pause permeated their conversation, she hadn't ever brought up the child he mentioned that first night he'd seen her again, she didn't think he'd want to talk about it, but the worry on his face, and the words he used made her rethink things.

"You're child. It's still alive, isn't it?" She asked him shock clear in her voice and over her face. He looked her up and down before nodding ever so slightly.

"It-It was too dangerous to keep her home- her only means of protection was to convince the world she was dead." Klaus explained. "My mother, my brother, the witches of New Orleans… if they were to find out-. They would kill her." He told her softly. It hit Tessa as to why he was so paranoid in her involvement with his mother. It all made sense now. He wasn't paranoid- he was protecting his child. It was done out of love.

Tessa moved quickly covering his mouth with her own, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck as she pressed herself closer to him. Their kiss was short-lived as a fight began breaking out in the courtyard. Klaus and her moved quickly towards the chaos. Standing at the open door, Tessa saw everyone froze. The vampires were all turned to a dark haired lanky wolf that was on his back sprawled across the floor, the scent of blood was in the air- Tessa was thankfully it was no longer hers.

One of the closer vampires was knocked out with a broken neck- and the guy that had stared at Tessa like food earlier stood in defense of the werewolf, but Tessa watched his head turn slowly in the direction of the blood, she was ready to pounce into action, but Klaus reacted faster muttering to the guy- Joshua to get away from him.

Tessa vaguely heard Marcel's deep voice for Davina and Kol to start the spell. Tessa pushed on of the angry wolves away from her. He was simply reacting- aggression and werewolves went hand in hand, and she happened to be a close target. Once the spell began though all the vampires scattered to the dark nooks and crannies of the courtyard- the sizzling and smell of burning flesh filled the air. All at once the wolves seemed to calm, Hayley and Jackson rounded up their pack and began filing people out one by one.

"Remember 60 seconds!" Kol shouted from the doorway also shoving people out as quick as he could. Tessa found herself pushed forwards sternly by Klaus.

"I'll come by your cottage later, love." Which she too as her cue to leave. Quickly. She managed to squeeze between the crowd of werewolves out onto the sunlit streets of New Orleans.

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 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	10. Brotherhood of the Damned

**I do not own Vampire Diaries, The Originals or any** **of its associated characters. Just Tessa and the ones you don't recognize, thank you.**

 **Okay All, thank you for the views. Alrighty all, just a fair warning- this chapter includes a rather salacious scene in it. If you aren't a fan of reading sex scenes- well, I'm surprised you've gotten this far in the story. lol Due to Klaus pretty much getting KO'd and whisked away to a chambre de chasse in this episode by his brother, Finn. I've created a different storyline for Tessa- let's see how Alaric and Ali fair in the great city of New Orleans. And how much of Klaus can he handle? Trust me, I've been working on the next chapter- I've got some more editing to do and it's looking rather dramatic.**

 **Thanks all and let me know what you think!**

 **BTW; I wanted to say that Tessa character is modeled after a woman, who is a very pretty model that goes by the name of Ebba Zingmark. Just in case anyone was curious. Thanks all, hope you enjoy!**

 **Thanks, guys!**

 **Chapter 10: Brotherhood of the Damned**

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Tessa just couldn't settle when she made it home, she poured herself a whiskey neat, and sipped it as she glanced out the open balcony at the setting sun- the vampires were still trapped in the compound only growing hungrier by the second. Tessa hoped that they'd be able to make it until either the barrier dropped- or, someone found a way to break it down.

She felt for Marcel- he'd helped her when she'd was kidnapped by Mikael and yet here she was doing nothing when he was in trouble. She sat down in the nearest arm chair and shut her eyes simply willing for a flash of something- anything that would help figure out where Finn was. She hated that there was nothing anyone could do at the moment. Finn was getting exactly what he wanted. How was she going to protect the one's she loved? Her daughter? Klaus? What good were her powers if they couldn't be called forth in times of need? Tessa huffed annoyed, the glass in her hand shattering as she crushed it subconciously.

"Frustrated?" She heard Klaus's voice behind her and turned to see him on the balcony. Tessa stood shaking the excess glass and alcohol dripping from her hand.

"That obvious?" She asked him wiping her hand off on the kitchen towel she had hanging on the oven handle.

"I saw it the minute Finn left the room, love." Klaus told her walking into the living room as he turned towards the open kitchen area, he stood on the opposite side of the island as Tessa grabbed up two more glasses from the cabinet before pouring some more alcohol for the both of them.

"…So you have a daughter then, huh?" She asked with an all knowing smirk, sliding the glass across to him. "Seems pretty funny for you to end up with a girl rather than a son."

Klaus chuckled with a nod as he pulled his drink to his lips, "Yes, I did catch the irony of it as well." He took a drink before sending Tessa one of his dazzling smiles, catching her off guard entirely.

"Look, I-. It was hell for me to be without my child, and it only lasted three weeks. I can't imagine how you're feeling about it, but I want to help you get her back to you Klaus. Whatever it takes. I'm with you."

He paused his eyes looking over her face. She wasn't sure if he was searching for any tell-tale signs of lies but the seriousness of his expression worried her, "Klaus?" She asked him softly. Within seconds he was around the island that separated them and he had his arms around her waist pulling her up into his arms, she was sitting atop the counter with her legs wrapped around him pulling his body in closer. She practically melted under his touch.

Klaus wasted no time in yanking her shirt over her head, Tessa felt her hair falling back down around her shoulders as Klaus tossed her white shirt over his shoulder. She moaned softly feeling his bare hand at the center of her lower back. He pulled her closer if possible causing her to arch against him. His lips trailed down from her mouth under her chin and over the front of her neck.

She heard him growling when her hands slid down to his jeans doing exactly what she'd had in mind earlier that day. The belt buckle fell now broken to the floor with a loud thud. She yanked the belt from his belt loops and tossed it aside. Klaus detatched his mouth from her skin long enough for her to tear his shirt over his head.

"I want you, Klaus." She muttered softly. "Now. Please." As soon as the words left her mouth Tessa felt him pull her up and the world blurred. Before she knew it she was tossed backwards over her bed. Her body bounced against the mattress slightly, and her eyes followed Klaus as he walked slowly in closer to the foot of her bed, his eyes trailing over her body as if she were his prey. She knew this time would be different from when she'd slept with him under Esther's love charm. This was all them- they weren't coerced into sleeping together with some witchy mojo. She felt his hand encircle her ankle as he pulled gently her towards the edge of the bed. His hands trailing lightly up her thighs towards the button on her jeans he popped it open and in a swift motion tore them down her legs. All the while his eyes remained on hers. She gasped at the cool air from the open balcony in the other room.

"As you wish, my love." He told her with a wily smirk before leaning over her body and silencing her groans with a kiss. He moved his mouth slowly down her body raking his tongue over her searing skin as he went. His blunt teeth scraped over her abdomen as he moved lower; she gasped and groaned as he suddenly tore her panties in half tossing the scrap of fabric somewhere beyond him. Klaus then slipped two fingers inside her while his tongue circled her clit over and over again. Her back arched off of the bed; then she tried to move her hips in closer only to have him pull his mouth away as he leaned back slightly. "Oh god, Klaus." She groaned her eyes nearly rolling back into her head, he chuckled at her vain attempt for contact before he sucked her clit into his mouth and the movement of his fingers redoubled.

She gripped the blankets underneath her tightly as she called out his name again, her free hand quickly finding his hair atop his head. At the leisure pace he was moving at she knew she was in for a long night of this wicked torture. She felt his free hand snake up her stomach to her chest and palm her breast still encased in the blue lace bra. As he continued his torturous ministration below, Tessa felt her body tightening. Pleasure was slowly spreading like a warmth throughout her entire body. Was she on the verge of climaxing already? Had it really been that long? She thought to herself. He pulled his head back slightly, "Fuck. Tessa." His voice was horse, as if he were fighting to contain himself. She knew he felt her tensing around his fingers. She arched her back up only to groan loudly in disappointment at him pulling away from her.

"Patience love." He smirked down at her. She watched his hands moving to his jeans as he slid them down his legs. Tessa arched her back as she made quick work with her bra before tossing it over the side of the bed just before Klaus pressed the entire length of his body over her. She could feel how aroused his was against her thighs through the flimsy barrier of his boxers. She could feel the weight of him press her down against the mattress, his breath brushed over her ever sensitive flesh, making goosebumps erupt down her arms.

Tessa smirked slightly into his kiss before she quickly flipped him over on his back. Her mouth pressed against his roughly before moving further down to his collar bone. She trailed her open mouth over his chest while her hands trailed up his sides with feather light touches. She heard him growl as she nipped at his abdomen. The roughness of her mouth paired with how gentle her hands were was driving him mad with lust.

Her hands trailed down his sides again moving slowly once they reached his hips, he growled at her light touches on him through his underwear.

She chuckled softly, "Now, who needs to show some patience?" She asked him glancing up to look at him. He moved his hips up as she pulled the final barrier from his body. She was surprised to find his face leaning forwards inches from her own. His fingers wrapped around her upper arms and before she knew it she was back under him over the bed. In a swift movement he held one of her legs up- her bent knee crooked over his shoulder before pushing himself inside her. Tessa gasped and groaned loudly at the intrusion. He felt like heaven on earth.

She felt him slowly pushing the rest of his length in slowly, giving her body the opportunity to adjust to his size. She groaned her hands gripping any part of him she could tightly. She was almost sure she was drawing blood. "Oh god." She gasped out once his hips rested against hers again.

She nearly came right then and there as he began a slow rhythm. Her hips moved up in time with his thrusts. "Please. Please. Don't stop." She muttered at his ear as one of her hands gripped his dirty blonde locks tightly. He'd taken to burying his face into the crook of her neck. She could hear every minute gasp and groan he made. She felt one of his hands gripping her hip, hard, and his other was twisted up in her red hair beside her head.

Before she knew it Klaus had her flipped over. She was on her hands and knees face down now screaming against the pillows. His access within her deepened even more so at their new position. She felt the hand at her hip move around to her clit again as he began moving his fingers against it in time with his thrusting hips. "Oh my god, Klaus." She moaned coming up for air from the pillow.

"That's it, love." He muttered to her. "Come for me."

Tessa fought the urge to scream. She could practically feel her body trembling to remain in control, but she knew it was a losing battle. Before she knew it Klaus had her pulled upright- her legs closed around him, still inside her. The hand that had previously been in her hair was now before her eyes as his wrist came into view.

She knew his intentions as she reached for his wrist and was quick to bite into it to prevent from screaming as she came undone around him. Klaus's other hand slid up from her clit to her lower abdomen pressing her back against his thrusts deriving even more pleasure from her. As she bit down into his wrist she felt the familiar feeling of Klaus's fangs breaking into the skin of her neck.

She felt his growl reverberate against her soft flesh as he joined her in climaxing. Within moments the pair was a breathless, tangled mess of sweat, and dried blood under her blankets, Tessa was half drifting off into a peaceful sleep when she could have sworn she heard Klaus muttering to her. She felt the gentle stroking of his hand as he ran it through her hair.

"I do love you, Contessa Dara."

At that moment Tessa no longer had the energy to fight sleep and allowed herself to succumb to it.

Tessa sighed contentedly as she moved in closer to the warm body next to her. Copious amounts of sunlight just began spilling into her bedroom- the majority of the bathroom side of the bedroom was windows. She groaned annoyed at hearing a sudden banging on the door to her cottage. Who the hell could that be? She asked herself.

"Who's that at this time?" She heard Klaus ask, sitting upright and instantly on the alert. So much for sleeping. Tessa thought angrily as she moved to get up from the bed grabbing up her pink cotton shorts that tied around the waist with a white ribbon from the floor, she then slid a white knitted sweater out of her open closet before pulling it over her head and headed out of the bedroom into the kitchen-living room area directly towards the door. She yanked it open interrupting another long series of banging from it's other side. Tessa paused her face slack with shock to see Alaric standing there with Alarice in his arms.

"Ric? What—what're you doing here?" She asked him feeling thoroughly baffled by his appearance in New Orleans.

"Well good morning to you too. Here ya go." Was all he replied with as he slid Ali into Tessa's arms and made a quick move to enter her place. He was paused he slid Ali's diaper bag to the floor near Tessa's side table beside the door. His eyes moved to the figure now taking up the space of the doorway. A shirtless Klaus. Tessa glanced between the pair nervously. She wasn't sure what Alaric's reaction would be given the last that he'd spoken to her he was dead set against Tessa having any involvement with Klaus- let alone sleeping with him.

"Alaric Saltzman. Good to see you again." Klaus greeted clearly gloating in the fact that he'd slept with Tessa just hours ago. She rolled her eyes at him as she shifted Ali up higher on her hip.

"Right." Alaric replied clearly unhappy with Tessa's choice in company, but he opted for taking a coffee cup from a drink tray and turning to hand it to Tessa's other hand. "I need your help." Was all he said to her.

"My help?" Tessa asked with an eyebrow quirked as she glanced from Ric to Klaus. Klaus, however glanced Ric over before making his way into the room. He slid his navy blue long sleeve over his head and slung his belt over his shoulder. Ric made quick work with pulling out his laptop and setting it up in the island in Tessa's kitchen. She wasn't real enthused with working with Alaric in New Orleans- she preferred to keep him and Klaus as far from each other as possible.

Klaus looked over Tessa as he made his way towards her, she watched his eyes shift as they raked over Tessa's child in her arms. "Your daughter, I presume?" Klaus asked as he stood in closely.

Tessa nodded as she glanced at Ali who seemed enamored by the person before her. She gurgled some nonsense at Klaus. She reached out to him, and Klaus paused confusion flittering across his eyes as he glanced at Tessa questioningly. She was just as surprised as he was, but nodded ever so slightly.

He slowly reached out before Ali grasped outstretched hand. At Ali's touch Tessa heard his quick intake of breath. He pulled away seconds later his eyes wide with shock. "You alright?" Tessa asked alarmed now.

Klaus nodded. "She-she showed me something."

"What?" Tessa asked her voice sharp.

"You." He answered. "How happy you looked. It- It was only flashes of how you were before coming here, but it was enough." He finished with a small smile.

"Huh." Tessa said as she looked down to her daughter in her arms; feeling puzzled.

Klaus straightened himself and looked back at Ali curiosity filling his eyes, "Half-fairy… Half-human."

"And not a weapon." Alaric's voice interrupted. He held a hard expression over his normally happy features.

"I'm sorry? If you have something to say. Please feel free to-" Klaus asked turning around slowly. Tessa could feel the tension between a disgruntled Alaric and an annoyed Klaus mounting.

"You heard me. She is-."

"Enough." Tessa cut them off quickly. She placed Ali on a throw blanket she set out with some toys before turning to face off with the guys. She looked to Klaus first. "You need to get going. Search the city for Finn. I'll be along to help as soon as I can, alright?" Tessa asked as she moved Klaus towards the door. Klaus's eyes remained locked on Alaric's as Tessa pushed him gently.

"Perhaps it would be better for you to remain here with your daughter. It will give you the time that you- and, your little one need, besides, if Finn were to find you first and hurt you or worse. I'm afraid I'd be unable to control myself." Klaus leaned down and pressed his mouth to hers- his arm slid around to her back and pulled Tessa in close. It was a rather conspicuous display of emotion and, one that was for Alaric who was glaring darkly from the chair he'd pulled up to the island.

"I'll join you later love." Klaus said to her softly. He turned to look back at Ali. "Lovely meeting your little one." He added before closing the door behind him.

"I really hate that guy." Alaric sighed while shaking his head.

"You came into New Orleans Ric. It's where he lives, did you honestly think you could avoid him?" Tessa asked with an eye roll as she moved in closer to him.

"Well, I didn't expect to find him shirtless and coming out of your bedroom." Alaric cried out with a look. Tessa felt her face heat up at his words, but she didn't regret it. Not even a little bit. He stood before her as she moved to place her coffee down.

"He's not the monster you remember him to be." Tessa said softly before turning to head back into the bedroom. Alaric halted her with a question.

"Is that what you really believe? Or are you just convincing yourself of that fact to feel better about sleeping with him?"

Tessa turned sharply an angry look overwhelming her features. "You know, if you're here looking for my help, then I recommend not pissing me off the first chance you get, Ric." With that she slammed the bedroom door and made quick work of dressing for the day.

By the time she exited Alaric had pulled up whatever he was looking for on his laptop and picked it up to bring it over towards where Tessa sat on the floor with Ali, playing.

"This." He said turning the screen towards her. "I'm looking for this. Jo isn't adjusting as smoothly as we'd hoped-. She- she's gonna need an edge otherwise her psychotic twin is going to kill her in the merge."

"I'm sorry? What is a merge?" Tessa asked barely glancing up from playing with her daughter on the floor as Alaric set computer on the coffee table.

"Every first born set of twins in her coven has to do this merge ceremony where they fight using their powers- the stronger of the two become the new leader of the coven, while the weaker of the two… well, they die." Alaric said.

Tessa sent him a look from skepticism the floor. "Seems pretty barbaric if you ask me. I'll never understand witches, and their 'covens'."

"Weren't you raised like a witch?" Alaric asked slightly defensive. Tessa narrowed her eyes on him. He knew she didn't like discussing her upbringing- it was mostly focused on the hunter aspect of things, but her mother did practice their magic with her older sister Harper. She'd attempted with Tessa only up until she turned 12 and nearly set the house ablaze with the very same photokenisis energy that Ali seemed to have very little control over. She always channeled her anger by means of fighting with other hunters- once her mom introduced her to the art of hunting the episodes happened less and less frequent.

"Yes, but it was different. We weren't ever introduced to a coven-like way of living. The strength of our magic, as my mother said came from within. We're not connected to ancestral spirits or earth magic. We don't realy channel any objects and things like that- natural things like gemstones or crystals give it a sway or boost in a certain direction, but it's not a requirement. We don't cast spells like witches- we just have... powers. It-It's like it stems from our life force. When we're sick, or- or injured or weak in anyway it effects our powers. This is nothing like being a witch."

Alaric nodded simply not asking any questions'. "Yeah, I uh haven't found anything yet on the whole Fae thing- but, Tessa, Ali's powers are growing. It's not just photokentic energy. She's levitating things, and apparently now able to conjure up images and pass them on telepathically. I-I don't know what to do to help her control it. She's-she's only 2."

"I don't know." Tessa trailed off softly staring at her daughter.

"Anyways, this is what I came her for. It's a gemstone, supposedly it helps you grow into whatever psychic abilities you posses as well as protect you from harm." Tessa sighed not particularly caring too much on finding the stupid gemstone. She was still worried for the vampires trapped within Klaus's compound. She was worried about their lack of communication with Rebekah. She was worried for her daughter's safety within the city now that both Finn and Mikael were on the loose.

When her eyes landed on the laptop screen before her though she paused in surprise, the gemstone Ric had pulled up looked an awful like the one hanging over her collarbone- except the one in the picture was a blue-green color. Not Lavender-pink.

"Labradorite." Tessa said softly leaning forwards to the screen for a better look.

"Good. You've heard of it then?" Alaric asked, hopeful.

"Yeah… you could say that." Tessa said sighing tiredly. Her hand was gripping Klaus's gift around her neck tightly. She knew she couldn't give her necklace to Ric. She'd have to go to Klaus; figure out if he had anymore- or where to get some from if he didn't. Although given the all the tension between the two just a bit ago she doubted Klaus would be in a very generous mood with Ric. No, she'd have to ask. "I know where to start looking for some, but you're not going to like it."

"Let me guess, the guy we need just left." Alaric asked, an annoyed expression on his face.

* * *

 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	11. Sanctuary

**I do not own Vampire Diaries, The Originals or any of its associated characters. Just Tessa and the ones you don't recognize, thank you.**  
 **Okay All, thank you for the views. This Chapter takes place over Ep. 12 of The Originals. Thank you so much for checking back and being so patient. It is greatly appreciated.**  
 **Thanks all and let me know what you think!**  
 **BTW; I wanted to say that Tessa character is modeled after a woman, who is a very pretty model that goes by the name of Ebba Zingmark. Just in case anyone was curious. Thanks all, hope you enjoy!**  
 **Thanks, guys!**

 **Chapter 11: Sanctuary**

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Tessa hung up the phone quickly- luckily she'd managed to get Kol's number from Elijah, he knew exactly what the necklace was made out of the moment he saw it on her neck, so she figured he'd have to know where to find more. While Kol was not very forthcoming with the information given that he informed her of Klaus's latest rash action of tossing him back in with the vampires, he gave it to her in hopes that helping her would ease his troubled relationship with Klaus. She really didn't want to burden Klaus with this- mostly because she knew he wouldn't help. Not too mention all the other stuff they were dealing with at the moment.

"My source says that there's a small area that may still mine for it in Birmingham, Alabama," Tessa said as she glanced over at Alaric. He was feeding Ali her breakfast while Tessa did some research of her own.

"'Your source'?" Alaric asked. "That doesn't sound ominous or anything." He said to her. It was clear he was still annoyed with having to interact with Klaus the minute he got here. "This source of yours wouldn't happen to be another Mikaelson, would it?"

"His name's Kaleb Wepstall." Tessa said sharply. No need to go into details with Alaric. She thought. "And, he's a witch into this sort of thing so I'd say his information is pretty solid." Tessa's phone went off with the address Kol said he'd send her.

"Well, I was hoping we could find someplace closer…" Alaric said begrudgingly, as he set the half-eaten bowl of baby yogurt down on Tessa's island.

"Yeah, we can. I'm sure all of the witchy shops in town have crystals and gemstone you could use, but there's no guarantee that they are actually selling what they claim to be." Tessa pointed out. "Do you really want to risk your girlfriend's life on it?"

Alaric huffed with a shrug knowing she was right- while the city of New Orleans actually housed the supernatural- it didn't mean they were all creatures of the night. "Okay, so say we go to the mine, and just say that we manage to get into to it and grab some of this mystical, magical rock. What am I supposed to do with it? Give her a rock and say here's something to help you with your power?" Alaric asked.

"I don't know, Ric," Tessa said her voice cutting over his. "I'm not the one who drove 6 hours just to ask for some help finding said mystical magical rock. You did. This is what I've got. If you have any better ideas then I'd love to hear them." Tessa gulped down the rest of her coffee and tossed the container in the trash. "Who knows, if they're mining for it, maybe we won't have to go in ourselves. They could potentially sell it in stores…" Tessa pointed out.

"Yeah." Scoffed Alaric, "Doubt it."

Tessa huffed as she slid into her black leather ankle boots adorned with a silver buckle on the outside. "Now, you have any plans for Ali?"

"Plans?" Alaric asked looking over his shoulder. "I was going to wander around New Orleans til I found the thing. I figured you'd wanted to spend time with Ali anyways…"

"Yeah, I'd love to just stay here with Ali." Tessa agreed easily.

"But, given that I'm going through a friend of a friend- it's probably best if you're actually with me when we get to where ever it is we're going." Alaric finished his sentence as he lifted Ali from the couch and placed her in Tessa's arm as he cleaned up.

"So, what we're just gonna bring her with us?" Tessa asked as she put the address into her phone so Alaric knew where to drive to.

"Why not? We're just grabbing a gemstone, right?" He told her. Tessa shrugged feeling a bit uneasy but didn't see any other options. Within moments- Tessa, Alaric, and Ali were in Ric's jeep and headed on the ridiculously long drive off to Alabama.

Tessa made an attempt to call Klaus, but got no response- she hung up without leaving a voicemail. "So, so I wanna ask what changed- because the last I saw of you; you said Klaus had threatened to end your life if you'd ever come back into his city." Alaric asked as Ali babbled in the backseat.

"Unlike you, Klaus realizes when he's being an idiot." Tessa stated with a glance in his direction.  
"Oh-ho." Alaric said with a slight chuckle. "Don't put that on me- you ended things, alright? I just… moved on."  
"I left to find our daughter, Ric!" Tessa said with a glare.  
"And, I didn't hear from you for over a month. I had everyone out looking for you, you know?"  
Tessa paused looking over at him in surprise. "You-you did?"  
"Of course I did. Look, I-I know that we weren't doing well and, I was moving out, but I didn't give up on us… not then anyway." Tessa remained silent unsure of what to say.  
"You never did say how you got Ali back." Ric said as he turned onto the highway that would take them all the way up into the bottom corner of Mississippi, then into Alabama.

"I-. It's a long story… Mostly Esther."

"Esther?" Alaric asked with surprise.

"Yeah, she got her back. I suppose that makes sense given the control she held over the witches when she resurrected herself-."

"Her only requirement was for you to help her with her Klaus agenda." Alaric cut her off.

"Well, that and she threatened Ali's life if I didn't help her." Tessa continued. "Which pretty much catches you up to when you found me outside of Mystic Falls. Almost a week ago." Tessa said.

"You went back to New Orleans though. Back to Klaus? I just-. I don't get it. Even after he threatened-."

"I came back to take down Esther." Tessa said looking at Alaric now. "To ensure that Ali and I were safe."

A silence permeated the car now. Tessa glanced in the mirror Alaric had set up in the back to find Alarice passed out in her car seat. Tessa's mind wandered to how much she missed living with and taking care of her daughter- she'll be two this summer, and how much of her life has she already missed? Tessa asked herself. She sighed when Alaric's voice cut into her thoughts.

"Did you?" She heard the seriousness of his voice. Tessa glanced back at him as she turned in her seat.

"Well, I thought we had." She muttered her anger at Klaus rearing its head. "Klaus had other ideas. He turned her into a vampire, I mean at least now she can no longer practice magic. She's essentially useless and unable to resurrect herself again if she dies. The power she had- Klaus saw to it that she no longer had any more, and while we're safe from her, I may have added two more names to the list of threats."

Alaric sighed shaking his head, "Seems to be how it goes for Klaus and those around him."

"Stop it," Tessa said in a warning voice. "Who I choose to be around isn't of your concern."

"It is when that person is a threat to my daughter."

"Klaus is not a threat to Ali. You saw him today!"

"I saw him practically salivating at the mouth when Ali displayed her powers." Alaric said as he changed lanes.

Tessa scoffed shaking her head at him, "There's nothing I could say to you that would change your opinion of him."

"Nope." Alaric said. "He brings death and destruction everywhere he goes, so excuse me if I'd prefer it to be far away from my child."

"Well, unfortunately for you Ric. As it stands he isn't going anywhere." Tessa told him as she crossed her arms and looked out the window. The long drive to Alabama was filled with music and awkward small talk of directions. Tessa was relieved when Alaric pulled off the road into a gravel drive towards a small house sitting up on a hill.

"You sure this is it?" Ric asked with an eyebrow quirked. Tessa checked her phone but nodded all the same as he parked his jeep. She stretched as she got out before moving to grab Ali quickly. Ric stepped out as he looked up at the small ranch house before them. The maroon color of it matched the mountains of dirt and rocks behind them.

The pair headed up towards the house before knocking on the door. A rotund older man was quick to answer it, he pushed his glasses up his narrow nose and took in the site before him. "Yes? Can I help you?"

Alaric glanced at Tessa quickly. She inwardly rolled her eyes and did the talking. "Yes, sir. I believe my associate called you earlier- he told you we'd be coming to look in the mines."

"Ah, yes. Right. Right. Kol mentioned that there'd be some people stopping by." He said turning back to head into his house with a shake of his head. "Apologies, I'm getting on in years."

'Kol?' Alaric mouthed with a dark look to Tessa. She ignored him and moved to follow the older man into the house.

"Well, I'm Steven. Steven Mills. My family has owned the house for quite a while, we have a mine entrance in the backyard, I used to go explore it as a kid- but, you know. The older you get…" He trailed off.

"Does your family own the mine though?" Tessa asked wondering if they were going to be encroaching on closed-off land or anything.

"Oh no. Just the entrance- let me tell you. The town's offers to buy it up from me is pretty tempting. This way I don't get those damn kids running in and out of the thing at all hours of the night. One too many accidents if you catch what I'm saying."

Tessa could tell the old man was growing tired of the upkeep it took to remain here. "We-we just wanted to ask if the mine still retained any of the minerals or-or gems in it." Alaric asked from looking around at the collection of unique rocks and crystals the older man had on display.  
"Ah, I haven't been down there in years, son. I-I honestly couldn't tell ya." Steven shrugged. "I-uh- don't imagine you'll both be going down there- not with that baby."

Tessa glanced down at Ali in her arms. "Oh no, sir. No. Just him."

"Alright then, let's get this going." Steven said looking at Alaric in a different light. "You're welcome to stay in the house, dear."

Tessa nodded as Steven opened a standalone wardrobe and began taking out some mining gear and handing it off to Alaric- before Tessa knew it the guys were stomping out of the house. She watched out of the kitchen window facing the open yard as they moved down the sloping hills towards what Tessa assumed was the mine. She sighed feeling uncomfortable being left in a stranger's house but settled in with Tessa knowing Alaric would be in and out, hopefully.

Quite some time had passed, it was growing dark around the house now and Tessa was growing antsy- she'd called Klaus. Again only to get no answer. She tried Elijah as well only to have it go right to voicemail. She thought about trying Kol or Hayley, but if there was something going on back in New Orleans she didn't want to distract them from it. She sighed as she sat down. Ali was on the floor building up the blocks that Tessa had packed for her. She watched as one of the blocks carelessly tossed behind her young child began levitating.

She knew her daughter had been levitating things according to Alaric, but it was something else entirely to see it happening before her. She remained quiet and just watched on as her daughter continued to play unaware of what took place behind her.

Tessa gasped in surprise as the block hit the floor at the same time as Ric's voice came from the backyard in a panic, "Tessa!" She was up instantly and racing to the door she had watched the two men leave from earlier. She opened it to see Alaric half-carrying the old man in the house.  
"What happened?" She cried out as Alaric put him in a seat at the table she was just seated at. He was covered in blood, Alaric had blood over his face, and hands as well.

Alaric just stared down at the dead old man in the chair shock over his features. "Ric! What happened?!"

"We need to go. We need to go now." He muttered before sliding the dirty mining gear from his head.

"We can't just leave the guy-."

"That's exactly what we're going to do, Tessa. Now." Ric's voice was clear that she wasn't to argue with him.

"O-okay." Was all she said as she picked up her daughter, and grabbed up the toys to toss them messily into the diaper bag. Ric had just slid off the jacket that the old man had loaned him when an almost inhumane noise sounded through the house. It sounded like nails on a chalkboard, Tessa flinched covering her ears as she looked around in search of what was making the noise.

"Shit." Ric swore as he looked in the direction of the door. He raced over slamming his body into it just as it began opening on its own. He turned the lock and moved the nearby wardrobe in front of it. "It's too late." He muttered looking around the house.

"Ric, what is that?" Tessa asked breathlessly from her fear.

"C'mon keep moving. We need to hide now. Go."

"Ric, no just-just take Ali. I can-."

"You can't!" He said fiercely. "Not this time Tessa. You need to take Ali and hide. Now."

Confusion muddled Tessa's mind as she wondered just what the hell was out there. She quickly moved with Ali in hand. Even with Alaric being human- he didn't show fear. Not like this. It concerned Tessa with how scared he was. Tessa found the bathroom figuring it would be safer given the lack of windows in the room. Within seconds Alaric joined her as he was now holding a pickaxe.

"What the hell-?"

"Shhhh." He told her. She could see the sweat over his face- whether it was from mining in the cave- or his panic she couldn't tell.

"What's out there?" She whispered.

He groaned softly, his head turning to her, "Tessa. Shut up." His eyes looked over Ali who was looking around wide-eyed. Tessa had managed to calm her from her earlier crying when Alaric first ran in the house. The silence was gnawing at Tessa. She was growing restless against the threat looming over her and those she cared for before she and Alaric knew it the sound of wood splintering made the pair of them jump.

Tessa was able to see the point of another mining ax break through the bathroom door, she heard a man grunting before it was yanked back only to be slammed through the wooden door again. The wood splintered and broke under the force from the sharp object. Ali began to cry again, her tiny hands gripping any part of Tessa she could.

"What the hell?" Alaric muttered recognizing the figure behind the door as the very same old man he'd just seen covered in blood from an attack in the cave.  
Tessa stared wide-eyed as the old man peeked through the cracks in the splintered wood, his eyes had a white cloudy film over them. She could feel the power radiating from him from across the bathroom. Tessa felt Alaric make a move lifting the pickaxe, but she yanked it from his hold and tossed it roughly behind her. It clattered against the porcelain tub.

"Tessa! What the hell-?" Alaric began but, she handed Ali off to him sufficiently cutting him off.

"You can't, Ric. If there's magic at work here, I have a better shot at it than you." She pointed out.

Tessa was pretty sure Alaric was about to reply with a snide remark, but she jumped across the room kicking at the already fragile door. It fell outwards falling over the old man. Tessa made a move to grab the pickaxe but was kicked off of him into the wall alongside the now open doorway into the bathroom.  
His newfound strength took her by surprise. She knew there had to be some sort of magic at work here, he had been dead when Ric had pulled him into the house. What the hell has the power to reanimate the dead? She thought briefly. Tessa shrugged off the pain as she watched the older man make a move into the bathroom ignoring her entirely now. His sole focus seemed to be about Ali. He fought against her tooth and nail, blocking nearly every punch she threw at him until he'd slammed her head into the side of the sink. Tessa groaned her head exploding with pain from the impact. The crazed man lurched forwards, Alaric tensed in preparation for a fight, but Tessa sprung up in reaction. She grabbed the old man- Steven by the back of his shirt collar and tossed him against the wall in the hallway taking up a defensive stance in the doorway.

He stood quickly, but was bowled over by Tessa's psionic scream that threw him down the hall way.  
"I don't mean to point out the obvious to you Tessa, but that's the only way out from here," Alaric said from behind her. Ali's screams were deafening in the minimal amount of space the bathroom offered.

"No, it's not." She said as she spotted a window from the bedroom to her right at the end of the hall. "Go that way." She told him.

"I have Ali!" Ric cried out, but Tessa was distracted as she saw the tired old man pushing himself slowly to his feet. She groaned tiredly but moved to prevent the man from blocking Ric's way out. You don't have a choice, Ric!" Tessa yelled back to him.

Ric stood right behind her, and the shell of the sweet older man paused his eyes pinned on Ali's little face. Tessa practically growled as anger coursed through her. At Alaric's disappearance into the bedroom, the old man sprinted down the hall at an inhumane speed. Tessa was so surprised she hesitated quickly losing her split second at getting the upper hand. She screamed again and the man was thrown to his back only to leap back to his feet and move at her again. He was faster now.  
She cursed as she felt the old man's hands grip her hair and slam her face first into the wall. Kicking out at his knee she completely disregarded the possibility of the man still being alive in there. This fight was quickly becoming life or death for her, and she was prepared to die for her daughter if need be.  
Tessa felt a hand around her throat as the older man slammed her back against the wall. She felt her head spin at the sudden lack of air in her lungs. Unable to utter a sound aside from gasping her hands scrabbled at the back of his hand, he lifted her from her feet and she was left dangling in the air. The older man's cloudy white eyes stared into hers, and Tessa felt a chill go down her spine.

She knew this was something bigger than she thought. Nothing- Nothing had this kind of power that she'd seen in her lifetime of hunting. She groaned as her hands released the old man's, and reached out to his neck. One at the back, and her other gripping his chin. She grunted out of exertion from the effort it took, but his neck was snapped none the less leaving her body to fall to the floor with a thud.

Tessa felt her shirt soaking up a liquid and idly wondered why her body wasn't healing like it should have been. Glancing down she found the top of the pickaxe sticking out of her abdomen. She groaned as she yanked it out of her body. She'd expected her body to begin healing, but it wasn't. Not like it should have.  
She groaned as she pulled herself up from the floor using the wall to balance herself. Pulling up her shirt she found the fresh wound still bleeding. Her head tilted back as pain coursed through her. She felt as though her wound was searing hot, and burning her flesh. Since her turning, she hadn't felt pain quite like this.  
Thinking quickly she moved into the kitchen and turned the gas on from the stove. She snatched the nearby box of matches of the mantle in the old man's living room before moving back through the house and setting the match a blaze pointedly ignoring the photos of the man, and his family and friends along the way. She didn't want to imagine the man having loved ones, and a life – given that how she'd just ended it so quickly. With a sigh, she tossed the lit match through the air into the kitchen before racing out at vampire speed and into the vehicle now parked a safe distance from the house.

Alaric stared open-mouthed in his rearview mirror.

Tessa stared also but was surprised to see a figure dressed all in black. A woman with long dark hair, her eyes just as dark in contrast to her pale skin. Tessa felt a shiver run through her at the sight of the woman amongst the debris of the burning house. "Go! Ric Go! Go!" Tessa yelled as she watched the woman moving slowly towards them.

Ric snapped out of his stupor and punched the gas, tires squealing as he drove the three of them to safety.  
Tessa hissed in pain as her wound got worse- it was still bleeding, and was getting to the point where she wouldn't be able to hide it any longer. She pulled her hoodie in tighter around her midsection as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

The car remained silent during the drive. Tessa knew she was asking herself so many questions about what had taken place in the town of Birmingham that they'd just left not 15 minutes ago. Ric's silence told her he was asking similar- if not, the same questions to himself. She winced as Ric's car hit a bump in the road.  
"You alright?" He asked her from the driver's side. Tessa just nodded- the burning only seemed to be intensifying when she was moving- if she remained still it was bearable. More of a dull ache.

Alaric didn't press her for more information, but she could see he wasn't convinced. Ali was quiet from the backseat as if she, too were thinking about what she'd seen, as stupid as it was Tessa was hoping she wouldn't be able to recollect the horror show they were leaving. Tessa felt her body beginning to succumb to a content sleep as they drove on south to New Orleans. To Klaus.

Before she knew it, Tessa felt the car stop. The darkness around them was being cut by the vague city lights. "Tessa? Tessa?" she heard Alaric's voice in the distance but found herself gasping awake. As she sat up quickly her abdomen throbbed in pain. Blood had begun to soak through her top to her sweat jacket now- luckily for her Alaric had pulled into her parking lot.

She was lucky Ric wasn't a vampire any longer otherwise he'd have smelled the blood all over her. She groaned in pain as she moved to get out of the car, only to quickly lose her balance and nearly fall to the asphalt. Strong arms caught her and pulled her upright. She was leaning heavily on to the person for support. A feeling of relief washed over her as she took in his scent, even with her world spinning she felt safe in his arms.

"What the bloody hell did you do?" Klaus's voice was fierce, and it rang out in a threatening tone. Tessa heard the opposite door slam shut, and Alaric's footfalls as they rounded the car. Tessa wanted, badly, to intervene, but she was simply too tired. Her arms and legs felt like they'd had weights tied to them. It hurt to simply be standing here.

"Me?" Alaric asked his voice rising- clearly not liking Klaus's tone. "You have the audacity to ask what I did?" Alaric pointed out.  
"She reeks of blood. Her own blood. Or can you not tell she's hurt, you Idiot?" Klaus seethed as he pulled at Tessa's hoodie. She moved to swat his hands away, but the pain in her lower abdomen became unbearable. She gasped hunching over.

"Wha-?" Alaric asked. He'd seen the blood on her undershirt. It was clear she was still gravely injured.

"All the color has drained from her face. Did you really not notice?" Klaus asked, practically growling as he lifted her from her feet and turned to carry her into her apartment.

"I-." Alaric started but hushed quickly grabbing Ali and followed along. Tessa groaned as Klaus set her on her couch. He knelt beside her and brought his wrist to his mouth. Tessa saw the quick flash of his true face and heard the sound of flesh and veins giving way to his vampire fangs before he shoved his arm over her mouth.  
"Drink, love," Klaus muttered as his other hand moved to brush her red hair from her face. She gulped in the sweet taste of his blood hoping to find some relief from the searing pain lashing across her midsection.

Klaus pulled his hand back breathing a sigh of relief. Tessa winced as she removed her sweat jacket in time to hear her door closing and noticing Alaric's figure by the white door. He placed Ali in the nearby setup playpen.

Tessa heard the two men's distorted voices as Alaric explained what happened, very briefly. Tessa felt her vision blur around the edges again. With a groan Tessa found her body rejecting Klaus's blood as she hurled it back up over the edge of the couch and to the hardwood floor.  
"Whoa!" She heard Alaric's voice as well as Klaus's slight growl.

"You! What happened?" Klaus asked his head snapping to stare down Alaric.

"We-uh- We hit a snag when we went to mine for this labradorite…" Ric replied as he scratched the back of his head. As he spoke Klaus moved swiftly to his knees as his eyes looked over Tessa. Alaric stood over him from behind, his big worried eyes took in Tessa's body now. Her thin form was looking more pale than usual he noticed. He could see the darkened circles around her eyes- it was clear that whatever sleep she'd gotten in the car wasn't helping her heal now.  
"What happened?" Klaus practically roared. Ali made a noise at his volume, but Klaus was more focused on Tessa now. He pulled at her shirt and found the wound. The stab was swelling and inflamed. It was hot to Klaus's touch, and he wondered how it was possible for a wound like this to seem infected, especially to a vampire. Alaric noted that it was looking worse now than it had when she'd first gotten it. Tessa cried out in pain when Klaus's fingers moved to close to it.

"It's alright, love. I've got you now." He muttered down to her with a kiss to the back of her hand.

"Here." Alaric offered as he pulled out an oversized leather-bound book.

"What good is that going to do, Hunter?" Klaus asked scathingly. "You think that book has an explanation?"

"Given that this is the book Tessa left at her house when she'd taken off to this place, I'd say it's very important. Her father's girlfriend had this book. It's all about the Fae people."

"How're you sure this is a Fae problem?" Klaus pressed as his hands moved to Tessa's forehead. She was practically passing out on him. Given the night he'd had already with Hayley wanting to put the safety of their daughter's secret with the wolf she was choosing to marry, he was in no mood to deal with Tessa's annoying and incredibly dimwitted ex-boyfriend. "You haven't even explained what happened," Klaus muttered angrily as he moved to take Tessa's clothes off.

"Hey! Whoa, whoa! What the hell are you doing?!" Ric hollered moving to stop Klaus.

Klaus reacted with a speed that Ric no longer could. Klaus had him pressed against the far wall by his throat. "If you as so much as breath wrong right now, I'd be happy to snap your neck, human. You nearly killed me once so if I recall correctly, you and, I still have a score to settle, no?" Klaus asked threateningly. At Ali's sudden cry he seemed to snap out of his rage. Alaric watched his eyes glance in her direction, and he made a valiant attempt at kicking Klaus away from him.  
"She has a fever." Klaus pointedly told him before dropping the man to his knees on the floor below, "I'm going to put her in the bath." Klaus told him before. "I recommend you care for Alarice over there, because there may be a chance of Tessa's condition deteriorating over the night." With that Klaus scooped Tessa's limp body from the couch. "I quite hope for your sake that is not the case though, Alaric."

Alaric wasn't sure if that was meant as threatening or consoling, Alaric felt confident it was the latter rather than the former. Either way, He glared at Klaus's retreating form before moving towards his crying daughter.

Once Alaric had quieted down Ali, and had her sleeping at the bottom of the playpen, he began flipping through the book of Fae, there wasn't much information here on ways of controlling their powers, or binding them somehow, but there was quite a lot on what powers people had developed, and bloodlines that had been followed back through time. Alaric hadn't thought looking through this was a good idea when he was first researching what to do for Ali- he felt it was an invasion of Tessa's things, but now with her life at risk he flipped through it with a flourish. He tried to think of what had struck Tessa in the stomach, when she fought the elderly reanimated man back in Birmingham.

He'd read through the book before and, he vaguely remembered something about iron being written in here- he just couldn't remember what it was. He continued flipping through the pages as the water in the other room was cut off… Klaus gently placed Tessa in her tub- he'd taken care to remove her clothes from her gently. He left her in her undergarments providing her with some sort of decency. Her temperature only continued to climb higher and higher-, until she was almost radiating heat by the time he'd moved to place her in the filled bath.

Tessa stiffened and she groaned at the water, even in her state of half unconsciousness. Klaus had made sure to keep the water at a tepid temperature. In his long life over the centuries, he was able to pick up on how to break a fever without modern medicine. He knew the slowly cooling water would be the best way to bring her skyrocketing fever down.

Tessa's eyes flickered open slowly as she sought his figure out.

"Kla- Klaus?" She asked, her voice hoarse.

"I'm here, love." He replied moving closer to the side of the bath from his seat upon the porcelain throne. He moved onto his knees beside the bath. "I'm here."  
Her breathing was labored, and Klaus could see the wound was slowly bleeding- it had started to clot up, but when she moved at the water's touch she broke it open again. The sickeningly sweet scent of her blood was more manageable with her body being under the water.

"What's hap-happening to me?"

"I don't know yet, my love." He cut her off as he moved a stray wet lock of red hair from her face. Tessa swallowed thickly as she attempted to grab his hand with hers, but her hand was tremoring. Klaus moved to clasp it in his own, steadying her hand entirely. Of all her symptoms Klaus was sure her wound was infected, but he had a hard time believing that was it, especially in such little time. She gasped in pain as her abdomen stiffened with her coughing.

"Tessa?" Klaus asked, worry broke out over his features.

Tessa gave him a weary smile. "I'm-."

"I swear to god if you tell me 'I'm fine', I will leave you to your fever in this bath, understand?" He threatened. Tessa barked out a laugh before her body radiated with pain from it.

"Darling, why didn't you call me? Or- Or, anyone? If you were in a fight I'd have been there at a moments notice-. I told you to remain here, where I knew you'd be safe." He said as he sat back exasperated.

"I know." She cut him off with her tired voice soft.

"Why didn't you?" Klaus asked her as he moved nearer. "You'd never have been injured had you called. I never would have allowed something like this to hap-."  
"I didn't want-want to bother you with this, besides it was just to help-help Ric." Tessa told him slowly. It was obvious to him her condition was worsening.  
"So I've gathered," Klaus said practically glowering.

"Don't- Don't blame him. He did it for Ali. He took her to safety, and I had to protect- protect her."

"Klaus, I-"Tessa began as she tried to pull herself up to no avail. She splashed back against the water with a huff. She sighed heavily before Klaus watched her eyes begin to flutter closed.

His worry spiked as he moved up to his knees again holding Tessa's face in his hands. "Tessa? Tessa? Love?" His alarm spiked as he wondered if this was it. He had never seen anything work against a creature so fast- even his bite took longer than this. "No, No, no. Stay with me." He said, his alarm spilling over into a panic. He half pulled her from the bath to his chest.

"I can't lose you now, love." He muttered to her practically pulling her from the bath. "I only just got you back."

He could hear her struggling to breathe below him. That's when Alaric rushed in, the book he'd had fallen to the tile floor.

"Klaus! It's-It's iron." He began. "She's Fae and practically deathly allergic to iron. Her body is going to shut down unless we get it all out." Under normal circumstances Klaus would have been irritated at Alaric's lack of concern for Tessa's nakedness, but as Klaus could see Alaric's sole purpose was to help as his hands moved to her wound once he'd dropped to his knees beside Tessa's body.

"This-this is going to hurt." Alaric forewarned Klaus as he pulled out tweezers from Tessa's cabinet within arms reach. "I'm gonna need you to hold her."  
Klaus's glare only hardened at Alaric's command, but he did as told and gripped Tessa's wrists to prevent her from flailing. He watched as Alaric moved to straddle over Tessa's thighs, his phone out with the flashlight on to look at the wound. Klaus was surprised to see the metallic particles in the wound shine against the bright light.

"what the bloody hel-?"

"She was hit by a pickaxe." Alaric explained curtly before he made quick with his work at digging out the bits of iron in her wound.

"A pickaxe?" It occurred to Klaus then that the cutting tool had the iron on it from being mined with.

"I presume the old man is dead, already?" Klaus asked with an almost feral growl.

"Tessa took care of him- she blew up the house." Alaric told him with a nod as he focused hard on the problem before him. Klaus watched him closely, as he carefully began removing a tiny rock of iron ore. Klaus let out a stressful huff as he soon realized how lengthy this process was going to be.

"Yeah this is just the outer layer. I'll have to dig deeper to get the pieces out from underneath where her body has healed." Klaus blinked at him, but gritted his teeth and held her wrists down as Alaric broke out the nearest pair of scissors he could find.

After hearing Tessa scream, and cry out in agony from Alaric digging at her practically infected wound for the last hour and half. Klaus was relieved to see her, still slightly pale, but no longer looking as though death were waiting at her doorstep any longer- he'd fed her some of his blood, and was surprised to see her wound healing quickly. He breathed a sigh of relief as he sat back in the cushioned arm chair he had pulled up along her side of the bed, all he could do now was wait.

* * *

 **Thank you all so, so much for the reads.**  
 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


	12. The Devil is Damned

**I do not own Vampire Diaries, The Originals or any of its associated characters. Just Tessa and the ones you don't recognize, thank you.**

 **Alright all, I have let these stories go on for far too long, so if any of you are still interested in reading. I shall finish because clearly, the story needs to be finished. Anyways, here is the chapter that takes place over Episode 13 the majority of this chapter is focused on Tessa recuperating and an emotional build up, so not a whole lot of physical activity. I've decided to split this into two chapters, because a lot of this needed to be re-written, and I wanted to add more little details before posting. The second will hopefully be up sooner rather than later. I'm still in the editing phase, I'm trying to do so quickly, but life is hectic and has been giving me very little writing time. Thanks all, and let me know what you think.**

 **BTW; I wanted to say that Tessa character is modeled after the woman in the cover photo, who is a very pretty model that goes by the name of Ebba Zingmark. Just in case anyone was curious. Thanks all, hope you enjoy!**

 **Thanks, guys!**

 **Chapter 12: The Devil is Damned**

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Tessa groaned as she awoke from whatever deep slumber her body was in. Sitting up she found herself in her own bed, but she couldn't remember how she'd gotten there. Flashes of the night before hit her, Klaus and her in the bathroom, she could remember the hurried voices of Klaus and Alaric above her, she remembered excruciating pain, and then nothingness.

"Good to see you awake." She heard from the doorway. Alaric stood there with a coffee in one hand and Ali in his other arm. "You had us worried all night, you know." Ric said as he moved into the room. Tessa sat up but, felt the world spin slightly so she rested her back against the pillows behind her.

"Take it easy Tess. Your body is probably still recovering. You're lucky that you didn't die on us last night."

Tessa blinked up at him as he moved in closer and set Ali down on the bed. Ali crawled over to her and threw her arms around her mother. "What- what d'you mean?" Tessa asked, her voice cracking from lack of use.

"The thing the old man struck you with in Birmingham had iron ore on it. That's pure clean iron, it's one of the-"

"-things that can kill me." Tessa said as the realization hit her. She remembered reading it briefly in the book of the Fae that her father had inadvertently left to her.

"Yeah." Ric breathed out as he sat down by her legs on the side of the bed.

"Why didn't you say anything? We could've stopped somewhere and got it out before the real damage happened."

Tessa shrugged, "I didn't think about it. I-I was distracted by everything that had happened that day. The- the old man. That wasn't any power I've ever felt before, Ric." Tessa muttered her mind drifting back.

"Me either." He agreed with a nod, "Whoever that was, they were powerful. We barely escaped."

Tessa sighed heavily nodding, "How did you know-?"

"I read your book." Alaric answered her before she finished. "Granted, your boyfriend's threats of death were mildly distracting while I skimmed the pages, but I found it none the less." He finished with a shrug as he sipped the coffee down.

"Listen, Tessa… I'm glad you're okay, but I-I have to get going. Jo's brother died last night in an impromptu merge. She- well- she needs me. We- uh- we have to get on the road."

Tessa sighed; her attention turning to her daughter. She missed her more than words could say, she felt Ali's little fingers wrapping around hers and quickly pulled her in for a hug. She knew better than to ask Alaric to leave her here. Especially with all the Mikaelson drama, and Finn and even Esther still being out there. It was just too dangerous, and with Tessa's weakened condition for the moment she wasn't sure if she'd be able to defend herself let alone her daughter.

"I still have to pack up so…" Ric trailed off before pushing off of the mattress and walking back into the living room/kitchen area. With a heavy heart, Tessa turned to stare at her daughter. She could see her face had matured slightly since she'd last seen her in Mystic Falls.

Ali's bright blue eyes seemed more captivation than she remembered. Her soft dark hair was longer than it had been before, she knew she'd have to remind Alaric to make sure she'd get her hair cut soon. "Oh, how I wish I could return with you." Tessa muttered more to herself than her daughter. Ali babbled on joyously when she'd found Tessa tv remote. "Mommy misses you so much." She added with a kiss to her daughter's forehead. "Soon. We will be together again soon, baby." She whispered. Tessa's mind couldn't help but drift to Klaus and, how she'd have to leave him here one day in the near future. Once all the monsters and manipulators were dealt with she knew she'd have to leave. It would nearly kill her to do so, but her and Klaus just weren't in the cards for her future, she knew couldn't tear Ali away from Ric, and her home in Mystic Falls, but she also knew she couldn't live so far away from her daughter.

She felt a sudden change in the air, and her stomach felt queasy. The all too familiar feeling of dread was rearing its ugly head again. She wasn't sure if it was residual from last night or if her powers were finally returning. Tessa gasped as the feeling in her stomach intensified. Tessa blinked and almost fell out of the bed, A woman stood at the foot of her bed- corporeal in all her glory, her long, stringy hair billowing in the sudden spike of wind from the open balcony. Tessa gripped her daughter tighter recognizing the woman as another past banshee. Oh god. She thought. Whose death is this now?

"Ric?!" She called out her voice betraying her outer calm demeanor.

"What is it? You okay?" Ric asked as he met her at the doorway. Tessa handed off Ali quickly as she could before taking in the sight of all the banshees around her apartment. Tessa felt like throwing up, even though there was nothing in her to vomit.

"Oh no." She muttered under her breath. She'd only seen this many Banshees once before and it was at the death of an Original. Before Tessa even had time to prepare, the screaming started. Tessa knew trying to fight the urge was useless, she knew that one way or another, a scream just as loud, just as screeching, just as terrifying would break free from her.

"Tessa? Tessa, what is it?" Ric asked completely in the dark.

"Banshees." She gritted out between her teeth as her hands gripped the sides of her head and her knees gave out from the force of all the banshees screams. Her head was pounding, and the world was spinning suddenly. That was when she felt something in her snap, and a scream tore from her body the force of it sent furniture across the room. Tessa made sure to keep Ric, and Ali behind her so the force of her scream wouldn't hit them. Once she was done screaming, she felt her body relax and drop down on the hardwood floor.

"Whoa! Hey Tessa!" She heard Ric call, as he fell to her side. "Are- are you alright?" He asked her.

"Klaus." She breathed out softly.

"What?" He asked, watching her push herself up from the hardwood floor.

"I have to get to Klaus. Now." She said hurriedly as she scooped Ali up in a hug and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Tessa, wait-." Alaric said as he stood as well. Tessa placed Ali gently on the floor on her blanket and moved quickly towards her bedroom door, "Tessa. Stop." She heard from behind her, but she had closed and locked the bedroom door quickly.

"Get going, Ric." She hollered from behind her door.

"Tessa, c'mon-."

She huffed glaring at the door after changing into a random pair of jeans from her closet. Throwing on a flowy white tank top she yanked her door open and glared at him. "Leave Ric. Now. It's not safe, there's something out there that can kill an original. I don't know who, or what it is, but I know it's going to happen soon. You and Ali need to be long gone."

Alaric paused as he took in Tessa fierce expression. "What about you? I- I can't just-."

"You can." Tessa told him. "I'm not leaving here. Not yet. Whatever's coming, I have a head start on it, and I'm going to use it. You, on the other hand, you have to go." She finished as she sat on the couch throwing on her boots.

"Tessa, what if you don't make it through the fight? What if-?"

"Stop." She said pausing in putting her other boot on to stare at Alaric. "Don't do that. Please."

"Tessa, I- I can't do it alone."

"You're not alone Ric." She told him with a sigh. She glanced to Ali and then back to Alaric, "Go back to Jo." She finished. She wondered if that was probably the best decision for her daughter. Alaric and Jo were safe, and stable. Unlike herself right now.

"Tessa, I-."

"Enough Ric. You need to go." Tessa said as she finished tying her boot up and standing. She couldn't talk about this anymore. She knew very well what she was risking by staying in New Orleans but, she knew that it was well worth it if it meant these people would never resurface to attack her daughter again. She was already too deeply involved in Mikaelson drama. The only way out now was to kill or be killed for her.

"I will call you as soon as I can, but if I come back here and you are still here with our daughter. There will be hell to pay. Do you understand me?" She asked. Alaric looked over Tessa carefully. On the outside, he could see her mind had been made up, and she was fierce about going at whatever it was without him, but he could also read the undertone of fear. He could sense it all over her. He knew that if she was scared, he should be too.

He knew that if what was coming had anything to do with what they encountered in Birmingham, it was dangerous. Before Alaric could utter anything else he found the room empty and Tessa's tall figure was gone. He sighed staring across the room at his daughter. Ali had pulled herself up and took a slow step towards the door- now open from her mother's exit. He sighed before moving to pack up what was left before making a quick exit back home. To Mystic Falls.

* * *

After making quick work through the French Quarter, Tessa found herself in front of the dark looming entrance of the Abattoir. She swallowed her nerves remembering the last few times she was here. None of them were ideal scenarios. Moving past that she entered the house hearing the gate creak as it opened and shut.

A young woman was suddenly standing up on the upper levels in the courtyard, a slender brown eyed; almost raven haired woman eyed her up and, down. "Surprised to see you're still here, Tessa."

Tessa was taken aback at how the woman seemed to know her, but she kept her emotions in check. Her defenses were up, after her wailing this morning with an apartment full of banshees she didn't trust anyone to be safe.

"Where is Klaus?" She asked dismissively. "I need to speak with him." She finished as she moved across the room. Tessa watched as the woman took her in before abruptly turning around and walking off down the hall. Tessa followed quickly racing up the stairs and turning down the same hall all while wondering who the darker skinned girl could possibly be.

"Nik!" The girl hollered throughout the compound before the hallway opened into a sitting room. Tessa heard the stomping of boots before she heard his voice, "That was Aiden. Finn has Marcel." Tessa looked up to see a landing from a separate room. She knew that room to be Klaus's study from her previous stays here at the Mikaelson compound.

"What? Why?" Tessa heard the woman's voice jump up an octave at Klaus's news about Marcel. She wondered if the girl was Marcel's girlfriend.

"Tessa?" Klaus said, his shock was audible, but his face was void of emotion. "Tessa, you're alright?" He said as he moved down the steps past the woman before him. She nodded as she remembered Klaus's actions from last night, how he jumped into actions when she was down for the count.

"I'm-I'm fine now. With all of the iron out of my system; I'm alright."

"Good." Klaus nodded as his eyes moved over her features. "You had stabled out overnight, and I had to get back to-."

"You don't have to explain." She told him shrugging. "I- I didn't come here for that. I had another death premonition this morning, Klaus. It- It was-."She saw the serious expression overcome Klaus' face and she knew she'd gotten his attention.

"Excuse me?" The woman interrupted visibly annoyed. "As much as your continued love story interests me, I'm a little more concerned with Finn capturing Marcel."

"Rebekah. Not now." Klaus said dismissively .

"Rebekah?" Tessa echoed, not hiding her shocked expression very well. She'd heard it in her own voice.

"Yeah," Rebekah began clearly irritated, "Compliments of Kol." She finished while crossing her arms across her chest with a huff.

"I see my timing is as impeccable as usual." A new voice chimed in from behind. Tessa turned surprised to see Kol there- he looked worse for the wear than when she'd seen him last, but also last she'd heard he had been left here for dead by Klaus with all the vampires.

"Oh, the traitor thinks he can just waltz in here like, he's welcome." Klaus greeted as he moved between Tessa and Kol.

"As gracious as your apology better be," Rebekah began her voice fierce now, "You're still getting one hell of a slap, and before anyone could stop her she moved forwards, her hand up at the ready.

"Wait, wait." Kol interrupted as he backed up a step. "I understand the irony of what I'm about to say, but I came here because I need your help."

Klaus chuckled now, as Rebekah's anger flared, "Figure out how to undo your wicked little body swap, and then we can talk about help."

Kol marched past Rebekah his focus all on Klaus, "Look, you don't understand, Nik. Finn has locked me in this body- no more jumping. He's put a curse on me Nik. I am dying."

An awkward pause permeated throughout the room. Neither Klaus or Rebekah said a word. Kol chuckled darkly. "You don't believe me." He concluded. Tessa felt as though she were witnessing a private conversation and made a move towards the door, but Klaus caught her by the arm preventing her from moving around him.

"Well, You're hardly the champion of truth telling."

"Of course." Kol spat. "Why would a brother expect his siblings to leap to his aid."

"Oh, spare me the pity party Kol. Your recent actions merit a certain allowance for disbelief." Klaus suddenly moved forwards, closer to Kol.

"Look, I know what I've done."Kol spat. Tessa could see he was at the end of his rope, and she began to wonder if this morning was about Kol's seemingly impending death. "but, I won't apologize for trying to pull one over on you Becks, you deserved it." Kol said turning to be face to face with Rebekah.

Klaus had had enough and Tessa watched him grab Kol by the shirt front and yank him forwards, "What kind of con are you playing?" He asked, the threat there in his tone.

Kol yanked himself out of Klaus's grasp, "The con I hate the most. The truth." He admitted softly. Another pause passed over everyone in the room until Rebekah slowly walked around Kol facing Klaus.

"He's not lying. Even as a boy, Kol never lied once called out on the act. He may play dirty pool, but… he's not lying." Kol glanced back at his sister before looking back a Klaus, his expression conveying the desperation he so clearly felt. Klaus made a move to turn back to Tessa, but Kol jumped forwards.

"Nik." He began causing Klaus to pause. "I was helping Marcel for Davina. Finn has got him, he's trying to get a secret out of him. Something he thinks Marcel knows about you."

Klaus locked eyes with Tessa. She knew right then and there that Finn was digging now for his daughter. She saw the worry flash in his eyes before he turned back to Kol.

"He's right, isn't he?"

"Marcel doesn't know anything about anything." Klaus said his voice void of emotions.

"Well, you better hope that's true, because if he does. Believe me; Finn has the means to get it out of him." That's when it all clicked in Tessa's mind, if Finn is closer to finding Klaus's daughter; she wondered if it was her impending death that she was warned of.

"Klaus." Tessa said, she moved now between the brothers, snapping them from their locked gaze. "I need to speak with you. It's urgent." Klaus glanced between her and Kol, before he nodded and told Kol to have a seat as he moved with Tessa out of the room.

"Nik!" Kol hollered after him, but Tessa heard Rebekah mumble something to her brother resulting in silence from that end of the room. Tessa found herself in Klaus's room again. He moved across the bedroom towards a table with the crystal bottle of what Tessa assumed was bourbon and poured out two glasses, "This family makes me want to murder people." He muttered before he grabbed both, offering on to Tessa. She took it in her hand, but didn't drink it, unlike Klaus.

"So what is it Tessa?" He said as he sat on the leather loveseat. "Who is dying next in New Orleans, love?"

"I-." She began. "I don't know Klaus. These- these premonitions don't give me a road map. They don't tell me who. I have to figure that out myself. I just get… alerted so to speak when death is coming."

"So, you came over to simply tell me that death is coming, not to warn me for who, or even what the threat is?" Klaus asked, she could see his annoyance rising with her.

"My powers don't work like that." She told him her own annoyance rising.

"Well that's bloody fantastic, isn't it?" He grumbled as he stood up.

"Hey, I gave up an afternoon with my daughter to help you." She told him, her voice sharp.

"Well, thanks for the help of telling me someone is dying, and having absolutely no other information, Tessa. That's brilliant." He yelled now slamming down his empty glass.

"What do you want me to do, Klaus? I have no other information to work on, although we do know your brother is currently cursed to death, and your daughter is now next on Finn's hit list." She shouted.

"Exactly!" He roared, "and, instead of doing what I can to protect her I'm sitting here chatting of speculation with you!" He finished breathing hard.

A pause passed between the pair, and Tessa moved suddenly so that she was inches from Klaus. She felt his breath catch from surprise. "I came here to help you, Klaus. At the expense of my own daughter, I came here to fight for you, to fight for your child, just as we had fought when it was my daughter at stake with your family."

She watched the tension slowly melt away from Klaus, his shoulders relaxed and anger drained from his eyes. "We will protect her; Finn has not found her yet." As she spoke her hand moved to cover his, showing him that she meant every word. "I love you, Klaus. Let me prove that." She told him, her voice soft.

Before she knew what was happening she felt Klaus's mouth on hers. His kiss was soft and gentle unlike most of the previous ones she's shared with him. Her mind drifted back to that time in the truck, when they'd been on their way to New York just after she'd been turned on accident. His kiss had been just as captivating back then as it was now. Only now it seemed he was less domineering. He viewed her as an equal rather than something to control and overtake.

Tessa pulled back her breathing hard. "You don't have to prove it to me, love. I know." Tessa stared at him unsure how to react, but for the first time in the last three years, it seemed as though her and Klaus were finally on the same page. She knew that when the time came to leave New Orleans she was in for a fight, but she didn't want to think about that right now. Right now she was with Klaus, and right now they needed to form a plan to stop Finn.

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 **Thank you for your views! Hope you enjoyed the read.**

 **XXTigerXEyesXX**


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